OREGON UNION MEMBERS - HEADS UP

There's a contingent of Trimet ATU members who're anti Union - anti Kate Brown and anti women. This's about your representation and benefits. Do the right thing for yourself and your family! Knute Buehler's a big lying sack 'a Trump which the DOJ just proved!! -- me

Oregon DOJ declines to investigate Kate Brown's deal with Nike, unions.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown holds a news conference Monday after the Legislature passed a small-business tax cut during a 2018 special session.  (Hillary Borrud | The Oregonian/OregonLive)

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By Hillary Borrud

hborrud@oregonian.com

The Oregonian/OregonLive

The Oregon Department of Justice declined on Wednesday to open a criminal investigation into a complaint alleging that a ballot initiative agreement negotiated by Gov. Kate Brown, Nike and public employee union was illegal.

"Based on our review, we have concluded that a criminal investigation is not warranted in this matter," DOJ chief counsel Michael Slauson wrote in a letter to the Secretary of State's office.

"In reaching that conclusion, we note that there is no information that the proponents of (Initiative Petition 25) sought to qualify the petition for the ballot for an improper purpose or that any of the named individuals engaged in intimidation, blackmail or extortion," Slauson wrote.

Slauson referred the complaint, filed in late July by Portland resident Richard Leonetti, back to the Secretary of State's office to determine whether it should take civil or administrative action.

Leonetti's complaint focused on an apparent deal to keep the public employee union's so-called corporate transparency initiative off the November ballot. Initiative Petition 25 would have required large companies such as Nike to disclose their taxes and other sensitive business information in filings with the state, or pay a fine.

Complaint: Kate Brown's initiative deal with Nike, unions was illegal

The Oregon Department of Justice is reviewing a complaint that an agreement struck by Gov. Kate Brown, Nike and public employee unions in late June to keep an initiative off the ballot violated state elections law.

Brown's re-election campaign told OPB last month that the governor was meeting with corporate leaders and public employee unions in an attempt to keep Initiative Petition 25 and another initiative, now known as Measure 104, off the ballot. Backers of Measure 104, which would make it more difficult for the Legislature to trim tax breaks, went ahead and got it on the ballot.

After meeting with the governor and days before the signature-gathering deadline for initiative campaigns, Nike contributed $100,000 to a new political action committee called the Common Good Fund. It was created by Nike's senior director of government and public affairs Julia Brim-Edwards, who is also on the Portland Public Schools board.

A spokeswoman for the union-backed political nonprofit Our Oregon said days before the signature deadline that it had more than enough signatures to qualify, after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on paid signature gatherers. They never turned them in, a decision union leaders said was based on the need to focus on defeating Measure 104 and another anti-tax initiative already on the ballot.

Leonetti's complaint named the governor, Brim-Edwards, AFSCME executive director Stacy Chamberlain and SEIU Local 503 president Steven Demarest. He asserted the arrangement reportedly brokered by Brown violated a prohibition in state law against paying to "sell, hinder or delay any part of an initiative, referendum or recall petition."

Christian Gaston, a spokesman for Brown's re-election campaign, wrote in an email: "This complaint was nothing more than an attempt to distract Oregonians from the truth: Governor Brown succeeded in bringing business and labor leaders together to have a reasonable discussion about a better way to move Oregon forward."

SEIU Local 503 did not respond to a request for comment.

The Justice Department has two ongoing investigations into other initiatives on the November ballot. It's investigating a complaint by Our Oregon that the signature-gathering firm for Measure 104 violated state election laws. Prosecutors are also investigating multiple complaints that signature gatherers for Measure 105, which would repeal Oregon's sanctuary law, engaged in deceptive practices. 

-- Hillary Borrud

hborrud@oregonian.com

503-294-4034; @hborrud

Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph.

— Haile Selassie, regent of Ethiopia (23 Jul 1892-1975)

HENRY BEASLEY WANTS TO BE PRESIDENT OF ATU 757

HAVEN'T VOTED YET? 

HERE'S REASON ENOUGH:

The outcome of this election will affect your wages, benefits, pension and working conditions for years - not just the length of the contract. 

Example:

Trimet Shows Pension Reform Possible

Henry Beasley

Running for President of ATU 757 - again... 

One of the most important aspects of electing a candidate is personal integrity. Personal and professional. Without it - you've got nothing! Should the adverse happen, the potential threat to the membership could be more then devastating in that it could compromise the elective by creating a vulnerability easily understood by the hierarchy - aka - Randy Stedman - the guy who's in charge of HR, Labor relations and negotiating ATU contracts. You wanna be certain your candidate has no smudges or worse on their record like DWI's. That they respect and treat ALL members equally. You wanna make sure those running for office are doing so solely for the membership - not personal gain. 

Having said that, here are some things you need to know.  If in doubt - click the links at the bottom of the page for screenshots of his behavior towards members during the last election.

I involved myself with calling concerns about Henry's plagiarism and misogynistic behavior to the attention of the members because there were so many contradictions. I posted screenshots as proof because, when confronted with the discrepancies he refused to comment. I even offered him space on this blog to respond. He refused. He was in contradiction of who he said he was. i.e.: Plagiarism - there were Union Blogs via Google in which Henry took their words, line by line, word for word as his own - then published them on his Blog. He plagiarized his campaign platform as well. When asked about it he refused to answer then personally attacked me for outing him,  as you can see by the screen shot below from his Facebook page. He not only refused to apologize to members back then but additionally now - in this new election cycle.  Had he, I'd have found other things to do on this beautiful day instead of sitting here writing this. If his behavior moves forward, unaddressed, should he be elected, hypothetically, he's putting Union resources at risk for legal actions.  

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This is liable. Red circle - lower left corner 561. The posting remained up a year or more. In order for it not to be liable he must be in possession of a statement from a psychiatrist confirming his diagnosis.  A liable lawsuit only has to be seen by one person. In this instance there were 561. You have 8 years to sue. When you put yourself at risk for a legal action that's one thing, but when you use your position or wanna be position against someone legally, such as President of ATU against someone who you don't agree with or you feel doesn't have the same First Amendment rights as you do - that's another problem. 

A few of the things I noticed about candidate Beasley was that he was adverse to conflict. If you asked him a question about his election plan or challenged something - like some of his conspiracy theories regarding other candidates he might get up and walk away - which is what he did to me on a Bus we were both taking back to the garage. He actually invalidated the question and me, assumably because I'm a woman and because he didn't have facts to prove the statements he made about the other candidate and Union attorney were true.

Additionally, as a candidate HE AND HIS WIFE SIGNED ONE OF CHRIS DAY'S 'PREFERRING OF CHARGES' (black ball) PETITIONS against then President Bruce Hansen. In my opinion, between Beasley and Day, they'd privatize Unions for their sole and complete benefit. It's a sad day when candidates feel the only way they can win an election is by filling blackball petitions against their competition.

He didn't understand. Does he still not?  

Click the links as proof of my charges against him. Warning: They're from the last election. Some are wordy. (sorry) They include screen shots of plagiarism, misogamy and his refusal to answer members questions. Again - to my knowledge he hasn't apologized for his role in that election, which means he carries it forward to this one yada yada yada...

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

EDUCATE YOURSELF! Don't vote for popularity - vote for time, experience, the ability to negotiate and the ability to live in solidarity. Candidates need to be transparent and accountable!! The outcome of this election will affect your wages, benefits, pension and working conditions for years - not just the length of the contract. 

EDUCATE YOURSELF

VOTE SMART

CHRIS DAY RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT OF ATU 757UPDATED

Chris Day

Last election he ran for Vice President. I actually endorsed him because I thought if he won, it would hopefully give him some perspective about the inner workings of Unions. It doesn't take a genius but some people need extra help. I thought maybe he'd finally understand what Unions do, how they Operate FOR the members, not AGAINST them. I thought perhaps a new title would perhaps keep him busy with Union business so he'd stop writing Operators up to Management, stop searching public arrest and DWUI records against us and stop filing Preferring of Charges aka blackballing members. Not so. I posted a screen shot below of one of his 'Preferring of Charges' from 2016. A public records search from ATU could possibly produce more.

I wasn't the only one he wrote up but I was the most frequent because I fought back. In my opinion, he has a propensity to 'fit in' with gossip instead walking away or asking for facts. 

He didn't win so now he's running again - this time for PRESIDENT of ATU.  That's fine, he can run - anyone can run,  but with his record of trying to control the lives of members he has personal grudges against by writing them up to HR and and filing 'preferring of charges' against them -  it's  conflictual with what Unions do. It's a contradiction.  Resolution has to be all inclusive whether you like the person or not whether you're an Officer or not. Solidarity over personalities. After all, this's our bread and butter not a bullshit fest! It's as though he's trying to use whatever clout he imagines he has to retaliate. 

I was one of (Chris and John Olsen's) first victims. Their friends and TM customers were reading the blogs and recognizing me in public and on the Buses. He and Olsen wrote me up repeatedly to HR accusing me of 14 separate infractions. I had to endure a constant stream of mandated meetings with management where I had no voice and had to fight reprimands. He even went so far as to write about me on his blog asking the public to vote against me as if they were part of the process. It made my life in the Bus all the more dangerous. If I so much as looked in their direction they ran to HR. He filed preferring of charges against me 4 times.  ATU sent me his first 3 efforts but finally 'got it' and threw the last one out.  I have 2 large boxes of evidence from not just the write ups to Management but documents supporting the fact that he felt the best way to deal with his 'problem with me' was by taking me through the Union Blackball process. It's not just spendy for the membership but degrading to Unions as a whole. People with integrity talk to each other - they don't go running off trying to get your co-workers and customers to take sides. We need more Unity and less division. My lawyer has possession of the boxes. We have until 2019 to file a liable suit. You can file within 8 years. All you need is one witness. Liable is anything 'in writing' as the signatures on the petitions below attest. Each signature will be deposed. 

When all of these write-ups started I had never met Chris Day or John Olsen. They just kinda appeared outta the woodwork. John Olsen got on my bus one night and refused to show fare. I didn't know who he was, he wasn't in uniform. He sat in the creep seat and called dispatch and demanded a Supervisor.  The next night I picked him up at Center Street. He was in uniform. No fuss no muss - he sat down. Everything they presumably knew about me was rumor, innuendo. Chris Day never once came up to me to put the rumors to rest. He talked to me in the bullpen from time to time after he was initially hired but never gave any indication that he knew who I was. The first write up was about an occurrence at Jubitz Truck Stop. One of the deli workers wrote a witness account for me. She attested to the fact that Mr. Day was with her - not John Olsen, when the conflict supposedly happened. Trimet refused to interview her. They also refused to pull camera footage from Jubitz as well as from the Buses on break. Two Operators waiting with their Buses wrote statements saying the actions they observed by Mr. Day and Mr. Olsen was inconsistent with what they told HR. Trimet refused to investigate. But what they did do, which is unheard of, is invite Day (before he was hired) into their private HR offices in the Administration Building and asked him to write up a complaint about me. In 1996 I sued Trimet in Federal District Court. They settled with me. They also spent the rest of my career retaliating against me for suing them. So they weren't gonna help me when these types of things went on. Instead they encouraged them.

Screenshots below are from co-workers who signed petitions to have me blackballed from ATU. It's also important to note that, with the exception of 3 of 'em,  these folks couldn't point me out in a room. Never met 'em - never talked with 'em. One night a Station Agent showed me their pictures on his computer so I'd know who they were.  Even 4 years later before I retired - Co-workers were still coming up to me introducing themselves and telling me that they too were solicited by Chris Day to sign the petitions to get me blackballed from our Union. They refused. He created a hostile work environment for me. HR refused to investigate. My Assistant Manager said she couldn't do anything about it then sent prayers to my e-mail. Highly inappropriate!!  Tom Sullivan, Nancy Kerr ATU members who never met or talked with me tried to BULLY me off the Facebook ATU Union Brothers and Sisters1 site, calling me names trying to take my voice away, trying to invalidate my existence.

Chris lied to Station Agent Fritz Benz who later apologized for signing it. He said he was busy at the time when Chris asked if he would "sign something for the Union". After talking with several members who signed the petitions I left realizing how much anger he has and how he uses it inappropriately. The people who's signatures you see below were asked to "sign something for the Union." They did - without reading it. 

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He posted the charges against me on each ATU 757 property's Union billboard around Oregon and Washington. 

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So I have a couple of stories I wanna share.  

1.) One night after arriving in the bullpen I saw Chris Day handing out copy's of something to  Operators returning from their shifts. I didn't get one, so I asked another Operator what it was. It had Training Supervisor Stewart Jolliffee's picture on it and information about a DWI he received. I previously saw it on Ranting's Blog. They were trying to smear him. I don't know why but a friend told me years ago that Day had searched Multnomah Country arrest records on me as well. If I were running for a Union Office, like one of the top three,  I'd expect someone to do that to me but not someone who just does it because of a personality conflict and then has the balls to stand at the door of their employer and hand these out like candy. Stewart was a personal friend. I knew him years before either of us started working for Trimet. I had much respect for him. It hurt to see someone do this to him - or to anyone else for that matter. I handed the paper to him next time I saw him. 

2.) The next one's about Leonard James. Leonard said he was driving to Clackamas Town Center. Chris Day was on his Bus as a passenger sitting in the back. Leonard made his turn which was, if memory serves me correctly, on a yellow turned red light. When he got to the Bus Stop one of his customers came up and gave him a bear hug which wasn't unusual if you knew Leonard. Leonard's customers loved him. Were always bringing him food or giving him a hug. A day or two later he was notified of a mandatory meeting with Management. The meeting was about the hug and the light. That meeting led to Leonard's choice to retire. He couldn't take the hatred any longer.

Chris Day is not Presidential material. Had he apologized I most probably would've considered it as a learning experience but he hasn't.  He's hasn't because, in my opinion he isn't transparent or accountable.


Make sure you VOTE, make sure you EDUCATE YOURSELF about those you choose to VOTE for!  Don't vote for popularity - vote for time, experience, the ability to negotiate and the ability to live in solidarity. And they need to be transparent and accountable!! The outcome of this election will affect your wages, benefits, pension and working conditions. 

Another Preferring of Charges? Actually there were several. Chris Day bragged about knowing how to get someone kicked out of our Union. He even filed them against our Union President.

There comes a time when someone's gotta put a stop to this crap. Blackballing Union members isn't what Unions are about!!  

*UPDATED

WOW - I keep finding these. What a sad state of affairs that this guy wants to be President of our Union and forgo due process.  

HEADS UP EVERYONE!!

Blackball box - from the old days. They used to vote you out using black marbles. It was all secretive back then, not like todays world where people sign petitions which are then published on the internet and can leave you open to liable lawsuits.

CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR PENSION? YOU SHOULD BE!!

Bruce Hansen's Team members, below,  have over 30 years experience negotiating Union contracts, in the worst of circumstances.

Don't take any chances with your future!  

Educate yourself, Vote Smart!!!

TriMet shows pension reform possible

Click image for zoom

VOTE BRUCE HANSEN'S TEAM

CLICK THIS

LEST WE FORGET - JONATHAN HUNT, A BIT OF HIS HISTORY AND DISREGARD FOR ATU AND THE MEMBERSHIP

EDUCATE YOURSELF - VOTE SMART

Re-blogged from the last election, the DOL investigation and the re-run. 

Jonathan Hunt

Running for President of ATU

The majority of the information regarding the challenges, DOL investigation and the reason for the election re-runs ARE FOR MOST PART, BASED ON HUNT'S BEHAVIOR! 

He was using Union resources for campaigning and violating property campaign rules by:

1.)  Trying to have luncheons on properties and then directly arguing with property managers over it, not once but twice, which then led Trimet to shut down campaign privileges for everyone for 10 days.

2.) Using Union resources while campaigning and coercing other candidates to file a challenge.

Keep in mind, all three, (Shirley, Jon and Mary) were on the same ticket so all three were involved but the DOL only found the top two (Shirley and Jon) guilty for the re-run.  

Other facts of major concern:

1.) Trimet Union President faces DUI Charge:  

The head of the union representing TriMet bus drivers, train operators, mechanics and maintenance staff was arrested Dec. 26 and charged with driving while intoxicated, authorities say.

Jonathan J. Hunt was booked into the Multnomah County Jail Dec. 27 and charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants.

Jonathan J. Hunt, 40, was driving a 2003 Ford car registered to the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757when he was arrested, Gresham police spokeswoman Malaka Kerbs said. Hunt is president of the 2,000-member union president.

This is something that should never be forgotten. His blatant disregard for the lives of others. The liability issues alone could have set us back years if not destroyed us completely. He was thoughtless and irresponsible with our trust. Had he killed or injured anyone or damaged their property the Union was liable. The media had a hay day with it.  It's beyond comprehension that the President of the only Public Transit Union in the State would drive intoxicated in the Union car.  It goes against our grain, everything we, as transit Operators believe to be true and honorable and moral about our world on the streets. It was like a big 'ol slap on the face to everyone of us. He should've been fired!  

2.) HE WAS DIRECTLY INVOLVED with changing our Unions status from 'A REAL UNION' to a NO STRIKE CLAUSE (it was done quietly without member input or vote.) (specifics on it in a separate posting, possibly early next week). 

3.) "Regardless of what he tells you, HE WAS DIRECTLY INVOLVED with the contract negotiations which led to our contract going to arbitration. There were no other contracts for Trimet employees that had as many TAKE AWAYS as that one contract!" 

His old Union car. He had 3 accidents in it. Was he drinking or texting?  They were rear ends. Not usually the type of accident a professional has. But then, a professional usually doesn't have  accidents. 

OTHER INFRACTIONS, LACK OF TEAMWORK, HOW HE TREATED HIS CO-WORKERS.

1.) Our locals bylaws state that the top three Officers receive the same vacation as from the location they were elected from. 

Jonathan Hunt has 5 weeks. 

In the past Jon has taken his allotted vacation as paid time off. He is also compensated for an additional 50% or 2 1/2 weeks (this would give him 7 1/2 weeks of vacation pay) This is spread out over his paychecks for 26 pay periods.  The reason being, back in the days of Heintzman and Wallace - they gave up their vacations to work. If they didn't use 'em they lost 'em, so these rules came in so as to guarantee half of it on their pay and the other half actual time taken off away from the job.

International Constitution states "you shall not better your benefits from your elected location."

BUT,  Hunt was bettering himself by taking sick days and not marking them as sick. Then he was taking vacation days,  in actual vacation time and the 50% on his checks.

2.) Taking several and unnecessary trips which included his family on Union money. They were staying at high end Hotels like the Hilton Marriott, and not being held accountable. 

3) There were missing credit card receipts on a monthly basis. The billing statements were far higher then the few receipts he manages/d to hand in. He didn't always turn in itemized receipts. Additionally, Secretary-Treasurer Mary Longoria is refusing to be transparent with members requests for accountability by only showing 'summary statements'.  Is there anyone out there, other than Executive Board Officers who have actually seen receipts?  If so, please write a comment below.

4.) Not coming into the office for days, allegedly working from home. For example. he'd call in on a Monday or Friday - making his weekend longer, getting full pay. 

5.) Hunt never took sick time until Bruce Hansen was elected. Bruce negotiated the majority of the contracts, often working 7 days per week and at least 4 additional hours past his 8 on a daily basis. He didn't have any assistance. Jon refused to work as a team. The VP position was created years ago by Ron Heintzman in order to help lighten the load after more properties were coming on board.  

6.) Jon spent multiple hours sitting in his office with the door closed.

7.) He was using the Union car for personal business and only paying $60 a month to have that privilege, unlimited gas and high end Hotels, no accountability. Plus, he was receiving honor points at hotels and using the Union's AAA membership for his personal vehicles. 

8.) I have personally been told by someone who claims to be friends with Al Margulies that Hunt broke into Bruce Hansen's office, stole the unratified contract before it had been seen by the lawyers and handed it over to Margulies for publication on his Blog. 

 Running for President of ATU 757

      “Charm was a scheme for making strangers like

           and trust a person immediately, no matter what

           the charmer had in mind”

           Kurt Vonnegut