A few weeks ago after finishing my run, I walked through the bullpen doors when I (felt) an intense dark presence approaching. I (looked) in the direction then (saw) who it was. (She), relying on a cane was limping towards the door so I held it open. She then (without missing a beat) veered herself to the opposite door while holding the most intense hate filled 'if I could whack you to death with my cane right here and now' look I've ever experienced. She was (in that moment) pure, raw and vile! I observed her as she literally flew out into the night. (without a broom). Hmmm...
I later discussed it with a friend questioning if 'the presence' was in some way connected to a series of events which preceded my return to work? And it was indeed. I say this because (1.) of the intensity of her rage and because (2.) we don't know each other on any personal or quasi-professional level. She was wearing the 'shield of shame'. The shame which comes from women who know better but instead hide from it. 'It' meaning what's true - in spite of her knowledge. She remains enclosed behind her Union Officer (husband) not because she's the 'woman behind the man' but because she views her role as the woman who should have no voice or concern in these matters. "Let the men do it!!!" That's her attitude - her belief system. She SHOWED me exactly how she felt about this Union Sister challenging the 'Male Dominated Good 'Ol Boy' Brotherhood, but it's not just found within THIS particular Union (ATU) but all Trade Unions. Unfortunately, she's not alone. For that, madame - I thank you - but not for any other reason than 'the shot of clarity.'
In the early part of June, I sent questionnaires (in anticipation of this article) to ATU's only woman full time Officer and (Center Streets) Executive Board Officer asking for statistics regarding women Executive Board and liaison Officers as well as information regarding their possible membership in Organizations such as Collation of Labor Union Woman. I also left messages and e-mail to that Organization. As of this date the Unions Secty/Treas, Center St Executive Board Officer and the CLUW have not responded.
As I was going through photo albums from the ATU website and FaceBook, I noticed very few pictures showing two or more women from the various rallys, board meetings etc. Statistics prove an enormous lack of women involvement in Unions.
"ATU represents 3,497 active members.
Of the 17 Executive Board Officers, only 3 positions are filled by women.
Of the 25 Liaison positions, only 4 are filled by women."
"As Lizzi Widdicome reports in The New Yorker, Desai “is an anomaly in the male-dominated taxi industry” in which “fewer than one per cent of drivers are women.” In the Teamsters, women comprise about 30% of the union’s 1.3 million members, yet there is not a single one on the 26-member international union executive board."
"...many blue-collar arenas remain contested terrain. Women still struggle to get training, to get jobs, and to secure a harassment free workplace. The women working in ‘nontraditional’ skilled blue-collar occupations, such as firefighting, law enforcement, maintenance, the mechanical trades, transportation and construction continue to face daunting obstacles. These obstacles in turn contribute to keeping their numbers low and their lives difficult….."
Women in Unions today act ashamed to claim their obvious rightful place because they've given it away. I look at younger women in terror fearing we are going backwards. WHY give something away we've fought so hard for. We're not doormats. We're co-workers with a common cause. We're generic. We wear the same uniform, do the same work, have the same stresses on and off the road with customers, traffic and management AND we pay the same exorbitant dues for the same benefits and representation as our Union Brothers but we aren't receiving it.
OUR NEEDS ARE NOT BEING REPRESENTED.
There are runs which force us to use unsafe restroom facilities out in the country in the dark of night away from congestion and or in filthy unsanitary conditions. '17' - one end right in the middle of meth country and the other end out of town in a very dark large secluded area. '9' NE Saratoga. Portland Housing won't even provide lights once you're in the apartment - providing you can find it. One night as I was venturing my way down the dark path a football hit the back of my head and on another evening a man came up behind me walking rapidly saying things I won't repeat here. Several children playing that night chased him away. '73' the NE end. Operators are not allowed to bring their purse or phones into the prison (which is not even close to the prison population) and have to walk over two blocks in the dark just to get there. You can't breath until you make it safely to the prison or to the bus and if something happens you have no way to notify anyone. Transients are are walking around at night in the area. '44' and '75' at night, both ends. These are just a few. I filed a grievance about the '9' and what I ended up with after attending the meeting with my female Union Officer were instructions in my pouch on how to locate it in the dark. Once located, it takes 15 minutes of an 18 minute break just to get down there and back. Gresham TC, late at night remains un-patrolled. Many of the facilities are tiny, unclean with no supplies. I've written up yellow cards to no avail. My employer doesn't care if I have a bathroom let alone anything about sanitation or safety. An Operator was raped on her layover years ago at the Hayden Meadows turn around from the '8' line. It all gets kept quiet. Our Union Officers need to become aware of our needs and our women Officers need to speak up and get involved.
At Center Street we have a Spotter who (unless he feels you're "effable") has no problem getting in the faces of women - over and over again demanding we drive buses that are unsafe and public endangerments (1400, 1600 Gilligs; high fare boxes). He screams and shouts and tells us to go "eff" ourselves. He's verbally violent (but has shown physical signs as well) and has gotten away with it for years. Six cameras on the Spotters Shack but HR refuses to pull them in order to verify it. He's been written up over and over again by women to the women in HR who could care less how he or anyone else mistreats the Union women on the first floor - regardless of their RESPECTFUL WORKPLACE POLICIES. Approx. four years ago he was suspended without pay. According to Alan Eisenberg, ATU Executive Board Officer at the time says the Union spent over $30,000 arbitrating the Spotters unpaid suspension so he could recover his few days of lost wages. Eisenberg says the Spotter is Hunt's best friend. Why is Jon Hunt allowing him to continue abusing us?
WHY AREN'T WE OBJECTING TO THIS?!!!
Mother Jones with Calvin Coolidge, Grace Coolidge, Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., taken 1924.
Courtesy Library of Congress
"Mother Jones (Mary Harris Jones) has been called the most dangerous woman in America. Taking up labor union agitation when she was sixty by her reckoning, she continued her activism into her nineties, working for the United Mine Workers, against child labor and in struggles including in Illinois, West Virginia and Colorado."
After a series of unfortunate events involving inappropriate charges brought to the Union against me via Cyber Bully/Stalker (1) and Cyber Bully/Stalker (2), I have a bit of personal experience to share in terms of a woman dealing with top Union Representation. Hunt initially refused the charges then succumbed when Chris Day started reporting him to International. He ended up posting notices at all the properties and then announced it was illegal to begin with. As a member in good standing I couldn't get any answers from anyone who worked in an elected official capacity. The elected Rep from Center Street wasn't able to be of much help because she made conscious decisions to not challenge my accusers through her vote and through her personal friendship. She refused to take a stand by voting to ABSTAIN. She further refused to take a stand by allowing the membership to see her with my accuser as he was collecting signatures for his petition. Having said that, she is a good person, doing a good job representing members, BUT she is ALSO an OFFICER with power to make sure NO ONE EVER AGAIN brings about anything that will potentially damage the membership as the people who signed petitions did. But if not for her 'veil of shame' it's my hope that what she could eventually learn from this experience could benefit others: STAND UP, SPEAK OUT, NEVER ABSTAIN ON ANY VOTE AND REMOVE HERSELF FROM UNION DETRACTORS.
President Hunt refused to return calls and e-mail until I finally got ahold of his cell phone number. It's a familiar story from him. Many of us have gone without ever receiving a return call. Additionally, I am told through a (very reliable) source that Hunt had harsh words to say in their executive meeting about me personally but he's never dealt with me other than hearing a well deserved wrath after months of his refusal to return calls and involve himself in a situation that would have prevented all this from happening years ago. If you are someone whom the full time male officers consider 'effable' you can count on a return call within the hour. If not - you're basically SOL unless you cause a stink. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. If you're a woman trying to connect with the woman full time officer as a possible solution - forget it unless you're either a personal friend or a male. According to her, the Secretary/Treasurer position does NOT make her a Union Representative. Nope - she's wrong. It's actually quite the opposite. She's an OFFICER FIRST, A SECRETARY/TREASURER SECOND. She has the same power the other two have. She is an equal third. But the essence of this paragraph is more intended to state that this particular Officer, based on previous discussions with her is a woman who hasn't had a great deal of experience in the professional world other than forced learning through the mediation sessions she was required to attend so everyone could just get through the 'business of the day'. She wears a shield of shame. She is someone who has yet to stand up to the men without screaming, crying, getting snotty or manipulating them in some way. She was in my TM class. A very sweet, soft spoken caring individual. When she won her position with the Union she found herself , according to her in a place that wasn't welcoming of her arrival other than the office staff. Based on what she told me, she had a very difficult time acclimating and was often driven to tears. At one point a year or so later I noticed severe changes. She appears to have become mean, angry and bitter. I believe they made it so difficult on her that at one point she finally surrendered and became one of 'em. She has yet to claim equality through words, actions and consistent acts of professionalism.
Bottom line - it's not about anything more then SOLIDARITY. It's not about favoritism, sexism, racism , homophobia or the 'good ol' boy mentality. It's about the quality of our jobs, our lives and the quality of representation we receive for the money we invest.
Union Sisters gotta get proud and stop looking the other way giving them power. Single mothers, women who own their mortgages, sisters who either pay all or half of the mortgage, the car payments, the kids educations. The women of this union need to stand up, stand proud and demand that our very basic needs are met as equally, productively and as professionally as our male counterparts.
THE MINORITY STATUS OF OUR UNION ALSO SUCKS! You gotta white woman fulltime Union Officer who NEVER attended a caucus before going to the Black Caucus convention at the Unions expense. You gotta white Union President who's only been to two caucus's for the purpose of campaigning) going to the Black Union Caucus at the Unions expense, and you got a Black woman who started it all and kept it going who has to PAY HER OWN WAY. It's just wrong.
How many years have those words existed without someone somewhere inserting "sisterly'.
Mary Dreier (1875-1963)
* President of the Women's Trade Union League (WTUL)
* One of the leading suffragettes for women's rights and immigrants rights
* Dreier and her partner Frances Kellor were together for 50 years
(Photo: WTUL banner held by (left) Mary E. Dreier and (right) Margaret Dreier Robins (sister - holding purses) 1909
"Feminism is the articulation of the ancient, underground culture and philosophy based on the values that patriarchy has labeled 'womanly' but which are necessary for full humanity. Among the principles and values of feminism that are most distinct from those of patriarchy are universal equality, non-violent problem-solving, and cooperation with nature, one another, and other species." Sonia Johnson
Update 8/10/20
Center Street Executive Board Member - ATU
The woman I referred to in the first paragraph is the wife
of this guy.
He created a hostile work environment for women, gays and minorities at Trimet through his Facebook comments. He refers to us as b*tches, c*nts, wh*ores, f*ggots, dykes, f*ucking dykes. When I outed him during the election he came back saying it was a joke. He and the guys were just having fun. But he was an Union Officer at the time so what he says publicly even on his private FB to co-workers is against HR 171, 202, 166. He then contacted FB to try and have me removed.
Another Trump!
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