Let me tell ya, through her own words and actions.
Shirley Block, current President ATU 757
Running for re-election
The video is from Trimet's Board of Director's Meeting,
March 23, 2016
Slider to: 12:30 - Start of Shirley Block's testimony to the Board of Directors.
Slider to 15:48 - Bruce Warner and Board member (Dr. Bethel) seem genuinely surprised and concerned to hear what she's saying.
*Slider to 14:04 - Shirley Block, "We can and will respond to Trimet's anti-Union tactics with Destructive protests and legal actions... if that is the path we are forced to take by an agency that is unwilling to change. But if possible we would prefer to take a different path. If possible we would rather share a path of mutual respect and collaboration to achieve our goals. Unfortunately, I am here today because time and opportunity to achieve the normal path is running out. In fact many workers feel the time and opportunity to take other action has passed. For a very good reason these workers believe that only major disruption of Trimet Operation and service and legislation priority in Oregon can bring about meaningful change. "
Slider to 15:48 - Bruce Warner and Board member (Dr. Bethel) seem genuinely surprised and concerned to hear what she's saying.
Her words were explosive. If things have gone this sour in the short time she's been in office (since July), to the point where she's threatening the Board of Directors with "DESTRUCTIVE PROTESTS", then something's terribly wrong with her Presidency!!
Everytime I hear her talk in front of a group like this, who have the ability to 'do us great harm', I find myself embarrassed for her. She's unprepared and unrehearsed. Her delivery was choppy. I can re-wind the video from home to better understand what she says. The board of Directors might end up having to though, with her threats. Dr Bethel was the only Board member who expressed concern. She had to call it to the attention of Bruce Warner. She's aggressive and puts out the attitude that it's an 'us against them' thing. Don't misunderstand. It is 'us against them' but in a professional way. Her LaborPress articles (see below) are humiliating. They cheapen the way the Union does business. After all, WE HAVE A NO STRIKE CLAUSE THANKS TO JON HUNT. NO CLOUT!! We're in a situation where the only tool we have is 'NEGOTIATION' or we find ourselves forced into binding arbitration. The President we elect, ESPECIALLY IN THIS ELECTION needs to be experienced at negotiating contracts, needs to have an intellectual balance with the other side of the table, needs to have an amicable relationship with the other side of the table and needs to know when the last best offer is in fact the last best offer.
I think the image above portrays the behavior of both Shirley Block and Jonathan Hunt when dealing with Trimet. They hired Ron Heintzman as a consultant - another 'get in your face' name calling bully from the past. Their threats, yelling - name calling, accusations, attitude puts people on the defensive. In my experience Trimet is retaliatory. They're not gonna work WELL with her. If she wants to address the sign-up block's, new member orientation, Operator safety, lunch schedules or a myriad of other issues it needs to be done professionally. You don't just suddenly run to the Board of Directors and start threatening them because you've exhausted all yer other resources by treating those that coulda helped you like crap. Ya gotta have some common sense about how your behavior effects those who have more power than you.
Labor Press NW
Shirley Block, ATU article
2011, 2012, 2013
When she was a Union Officer, she sat behind a computer and cussed Trimet Management / Executives out. Series of screen shots below shows some of it. I'm not gonna sit here all day and go through every article she wrote but you get the idea.
LaborPress, July 2013.
Conventional wisdom tells us that ya don't publish these types of things about the very people you're going into negotiations with. She was meeting with Management on a regular basis on behalf of the white shirts. And now of course as the President of the Union.
My mother used to tell me that you can get more with honey than with vinegar. No matter how angry I got writing the Blog about Cyber Stalking I always kept it on the facts and always professional. When you start attacking people, calling them names etc., treating them as though they're not relevant, not worthy like she has through these reports, you loose your audience, they're not hearing your message all they're hearing is your anger. Shirley has a lot of anger - so much so that it's kept her from properly representing the membership she vowed to represent.
She threw religion and fear into this one.
LaborPress, August, 2013
LaborPress from December, 2013
Later on in the article she invites Randy Stedman to go to Africa with her on vacation. In any professional situation you have to be consistent in your behavior. That would be a highly inappropriate suggestion had he taken her up on it, not to mention the conflict of interests. When you represent as many members as ATU 757, you can't risk stepping on the toes of those who would do your members harm. Stay on subject - stay on policy - practice humanity.
I dealt with these folks myself. They are psychopaths. No way around it. Shirley's right, Stedman's a monster. BUT Shirley, in her position as President of the Union has a responsibility to all of us to stay professional in her dealings with him. No name calling, no using religion against them, don't accuse them of being liars and thieves and you don't throw up their past and above all, don't do it publicly in the LaborPress and Margulies Blog. It's harassment! Does she have the ability to write a report without humiliating them?
Should she be re-elected, It'll be a tremendous injury to every member of this Union. Stedman's team isn't taking her seriously. She's a joke. They don't wanna work with her abusive threatening tactics and they shouldn't have to, no one should. Again, there has to be an intellectual balance. There has to be mutual respect. Dignity. In this day and age you can't be shitting on the very people who have power over you.
LaborPress from October, 2015
This statement is a total cop-out. As a professional, she should never ever have placed herself and the Union in a situation where she has to come back, again in a public format, begging and apologizing. That act, in and of itself could cost the Union 'power' through negotiations.
source: Rampant Lion aka Tom Horton
Slider to: 51:00 - Randy Stedman, Executive Director of HR and Labor Relations.
Margulies posted the video portion of Randy Stedman speaking to the Board of Directors. He says, "Randy Stedman clearly states he wants Bruce Hansen president of ATU757" Not true, he doesn't even come close to suggesting it. Stedman's discussing the facts as they exist, from his perspective as a lawyer. Margulies has a history of manipulating the meaning of words by inserting his own interpretations.
I don't think Stedman cares one way or the other who negotiates the contract as long as everyone is respectful of one another.
IF YOU VOTE FOR
SHIRLEY BLOCK
YOU'LL END UP WITH
BUPKIS
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