CHRIS DAY - FROM GOSSIP, TO CYBER STALKING, TO BLACKBALLING... Part 1

Originally published 9/8/2011

BLACKBALL

"One of the earliest ballot boxes using ballottas. This ballot box was used by members of the Association of the Oldest Inhabitants of the District of Columbia, a social club." *1

"Since the 17th century, Blackballing is a rejection in a traditional form of secret ballot, where a white ball or a ballot constitutes a vote in support and a black ball signifies opposition. A large supply of black and white balls is provided for voters. Each voter audibly casts a single ball into the ballot box under cover of the box, or a combination of a cloth and the box itself, so that observers can see who votes but not how he/she is voting.

A blackballing is a disappointment, and should be a rare event in a congenial club where advance notice of the candidates is given to members.  If a candidate is blackballed, their proper and seconder are often expected to resign from the club, as a failed election implied that they are not knowledgeable of the clubs ethos since they were expected to realize that their candidate is undesirable and quietly convince him to remove himself from the candidacy before the lengthy application process reached the voting stage."

PREFERRING OF CHARGES

When co-workers, each of whom assumably, have personal bias' against another co-worker which doesn't involve each other individually or collectively or the Union which represents them, continues filing (what appears to be a never-ending stream of)  Preferring of Charges complaints against this individual for the purpose of blackballing or stopping their Union representation and benefits you can actually end up with far more problems than ever anticipated.  It's libelous behavior gone wild.  You can't just go through life beating someone up without eventually suffering repercussions.

Typically, Unions don't involve themselves with personality conflicts between members/co-workers however they do try to discourage members from reporting each other to HR by suggesting a more viable solution which is to contact their property's Executive Board Officer for assistance.  Start the day with Solidarity and end it that way. Blackballing not only breaks down the premise of Unions from the inside out but forces members to take sides.  UNLESS a member gets caught with their hands in the cookie jar or their behavior is treasonous like Union busting from within or an officer reporting members to management, etc.

"The preamble to the ATU Constitution states that the union was established “to promote the general cause of humanity and brotherly *2  love, and secure the blessings of friendship, equality and truth.” 

Obviously, the preamble wasn't a consideration BEFORE any of the Preferring of Charges were filed.  The DRAMA they were seeking wouldn't have played out as well had any of them attempted to resolve their issues with me first.  Two of the filings were thrown out by the Union.  I was served on the remaining two.  One in April and one in August. BOTH were SCAMS. I presented proof to the Union BOTH times.  Jon Hunt asked me to hold off on further action until he or Ron followed up but that was August 25th.  No word yet and my working environment has become more and more hostile with each passing day.  The attempts at blackballing me should NOT have been entertained by the Union. WHY COULDN'T HE HAVE JUST SAID "NO"?!! In BOTH cases, the Union President stated that to go forward was illegal and if the Union proceeded I could sue them.  But going as far as they did by actually posting my name on ATU web sites and Union properties was libelous and irresponsible. The top three, Chris Day, John Olsen and Al Margulies who put the effort together expected and received something for their endeavor which I'll dive into during the next posting.  Neither blackballing effort passed.  The April attempt brought 3 votes for and 108 against. I was at the first meeting and saw the three who voted to have me blackballed. (Day, Olsen and Booker) It wasn't a secret ballot. Margulies wasn't there and according to the final vote he not only didn't show up at a meeting at another property but didn't vote. The final tally for August isn't in as of this posting. After the August meeting, Margulies commented on his blogs that "Of course everyone that was watching the Union knew that it had absolutely  zero chance of going through"

  Plus this:  

SO WHY DO IT?

WAS IT A SCAM?!!!

HOW DID IT ALL COME ABOUT IN THE FIRST PLACE? 

WHY HAS IT GONE ON FOR SO LONG AND WHAT ARE THE TIES THAT bond DAY/OLSEN AND MARGULIES TO EACH OTHER AND THEM TO ME?

'Gossip' by Norman Rockwell

Years ago when I first started at Trimet,  I had a friendship with a guy named Pat Patterson.  At one point I decided I needed to start distancing myself from him. He kept pursuing the friendship, asking what was wrong.  I tried but couldn't get him to understand it was because of where I was moving in my life. One day I had had enough of the constant calls etc and told him. Being the Sagittarius that I am it all just came out.  He was a very sensitive person and what I said didn't sit well.  It festered.  In retrospect I could have understood his situation better and been more sensitive to it. He was known as the company gossip which was one of the problems I had with the friendship in the first place. He would literally go around from table to table telling everyone and anyone who'd listen, who was doing who and who was the bigger bitch, etc.  Nevertheless, after that point, anyone gay, lesbian and new to Trimet who walked through the door got a mouthful about me. Several people over the years told me that he'd point me out and say things such as, "See that one over there, stay away from her. She's the biggest c*unt in town, doesn't like gay men, no one likes her ...  yada, yada, yada." And so it went...

When Dan Booker arrived I noticed he sat with Pat at the Center Street round table.  Co-workers were telling me that in his position as a Union Steward Dan would encourage them and others to write me up to Human Resources. Pat told him about my lawsuit against Trimet management and HR. He knew they were still retaliating against me. I imagine he figured that 'reporting me to HR' would be a way to 'get back' at me. And so Dan followed Pat's lead with that and among other things like calling me "the biggest c*nt in town".  He tells co-workers that I don't like gay men. He just told someone else the same thing a week or two ago and it got right back to me.  His rhetoric came from Pat, almost verbatim. Dan and I used to frequent the same place several years ago but I've never had a conversation with him except about Jay one time.  He doesn't in fact know anything about me. He has NO personal experience with me. It was all derived from GOSSIP.  I eventually contacted Jon Hunt. Phone and e-mail. Multiple, multiple times. He wouldn't respond. I told him he had a Union Steward who was encouraging members to write me and others up to HR. Jon Hunt knows the history of this. When it got worse I finally contacted the e-board but by then so much damage was done it felt irreparable.  Hunt called after that but I wasn't willing to talk with him at that point.  It's like - if someone calls - pick up the phone and either answer it or call back. It only takes a minute.  Just acknowledge the person. If you're too busy, call 'em back later.  But ya gotta return EVERY call because they're from the members. 

Then John Olsen came on the scene.  

Write up #1)  November 4, 2005 he boarded my bus at SE 60th and Belmont. DRUNK. He was in street clothes. Never saw him before. He flashed something at me which prompted me to ask him if he would come back up and show his fare. He came back up, visibly angry and yelling, "I'm a Trimet Bus Driver, I don't have to show you shit." I then asked him to quiet down as he could be refused service. He sat in the creep seat and called dispatch telling them I was "throwing him off the bus".  Dispatch then called me and asked who he was and what his problem was.  Mr. Olsen then called Pat.  He got his ride downtown. He was extremely abusive to me during the trip. When he de-boarded he said, "I'll see to it that the Union fires you."  Apparently he believes that - even to this day.  

Write up #2) May 7, 2007.  Mr. Olsen was in uniform at Center Street inbound bus stop. He was at the curb and lifted his hand to signal bus service. I was running late. Sunday, last bus of the night and I wanted to make sure my customers didn't miss their connections downtown. I opened the door and he just stood there talking on his phone. I waited as long as I was going to under the circumstances and then asked him, "Sir, do you want THIS bus?"  He responded, "Can you wait a couple of minutes so I can finish my call?" At that point I closed the door, waved him off and floored it.

The following morning I received a call from Jon Hunt informing me that I had been written up to HR:

Me, "By whom?" 

Jon, "The guy waiting at the 17 stop last night." 

Me, "What for?" 

Jon, "He says you refused him service because of his Sexual Orientation."  

And so the nightmare began...

*1 Taken from Wikipedia

*2  The word 'sisterly' needs to be included.