Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1433

CAN YOU SPELL BAIT AND SWITCH? I CAN ACI!!!!!

That’s right ACI the great Company from Boston that is here for the Operators, my ass they are they are here for nothing but themselves. They seem to be the best at the old bait and switch game as well, we sat through town hall meetings with GM Ron MacKay as he proceeded to promise the prospective Operators the moon if they made the move over to ACI and gave up all their security at Veolia Phoenix, and guess what? Not a single word of that shit has come true, we have all been taken on a fantasy ride to HELL except for a few rail operators that want to keep their noses brown. The Operators were told that they would have 25 PTO days as soon as they made the move and were out of probation, has that happened? NO it has not happened, the Operators were told that they would have medical that was comparable to what they had at Phoenix, has that happened? NO it has not, they are now on their 3rd medical plan andACI reallydoesn’t seem to give a shit one way or the other. ACI has an Operations Manager that seems to make up rules whenever he feels like doing so, without giving a shit about the outcome in the end, this is also the same nice guy that would never leave an Operator on the train after the train hits a car at a crossing, MY ASS he won’t just ask the Operator in training that hit a car at Highland and Central and who was understandably shaken up after his ordeal, he was left on the train until it reached the end of the line, the funny thing is that same Operations Manager is the on that told us that that would never happen go figure eh just another lie!!!! This is also the same Operations Manager that wanted to FIRE an Operator for being totally honest in his incident report, the Ops Manager didn’t like what he wrote which was the truth so he tried to FIRE him. This is also the Company who negotiated a tentative agreement with us then backed out of it, and at the same time has perjured themselves with the NLRB when they told the FEDS that they had never reached an tentative agreement with us. This is also the Company that allows you to continue to operate a train for 2 hours after you are alleged to have run a red signal!!!!!!!

Just maybe it is time that the CITY of PHOENIX has a real close look at just what the HELL is actually going with ACI, because I really do not believe that ACI is giving the CITY all of the facts, and the one they do pass on are probably all fabricated. And I wonder if the City is aware of the fact that ACI keeps the trains moving even when they have been made aware of bodily fluids lying visible and in plain sight on the floors of the rail cars. This seems to be another case of the CITY of PHOENIX awarding yet another Contract to the LOW BIDDER of all the bidders, I guess they just will never learn.

COULD THE NEW FARE BOX BE THE REAL REASON FOR THE CITIES SHORTFALL IN MONEY FOR TRANSIT?

After reading an article in the AZ Republic form 11/05/08 titled Bus Fare boxes malfunctioning it is becoming clearer why the City’s Brain Children are making Service Reductions in Public Transit.

The opening sentence says it ALL “Bus Riders have been scoring FREE trips in the wake of ongoing mechanical problems with new fare boxes on about 800buses throughout the Valley”. So with all the FREE rides that are being given out on top of the 12 MILLION DOLLARS that was spent on this new pile of JUNK no wonder the City has to make SERVICE REDUCTIONS in Public Transit. If you take the 12million Dollars that was spent on these new headaches and add the cost of all the FREE rides that would add up to approximately the total cost of Service Reductions the City is going to make by July 1 2009. Once more it looks like Joe Q Public and the taxpayers have been SCREWED AGAIN!!!! And what is the City’s answer? We will raise the cost of riding by 40% come July, so as to make it almost impossible for a great majority of people to ride the City’s Transit System. The public should all write letters to Tom Callow and Debbie Cotton and let them know exactly what they feel about the City’s Transit System that is falling back into the Stone Age!!!!!

THE PHOENIX TRANSIT SYSTEM SINKS TO AN ALL TIME LOW.

Had a call from a friend over the weekend from the Seattle area asking just what in the HELL is going on with the Transit System here in Phoenix. So I went on to explain that the City Managers as well as the Director of Public Transportation just don’t give a DAMN about the riding Public here in Phoenix. I guess the news of the IDIOTIC Service reductions has spread across the country already making the City of Phoenix look like a 3^rd class Transit System. Nobody that I have talked to can believe the stupidity of the City Managers and the Director of Transportation when it comes to these reductions!!!!! With the economy in the toilet, and the public looking for the mass transit system to get them to and from work, these brain scientists that we have running our Transit System decides to put the screws to the Public with Service Reductions. Then they add insult to the injury by coming forth with a 40% fare increase proposal, what a double kick to the nads!!!! Rather than gradually increase fares over the last 10 years like most cities in North America have, these buffoons have left it alone and now need quick cash grab so let’s slam the public riders with 40% right now. But one will notice that none of the City Managers JOBS are in jeopardy; coincidence???? Another thing the City isn’t telling everyone is that they are calling this a SERVICE SUSPENSION at this time so as not to have to get rid of any buses. Now they can just park them for the time being. I understand that the Christmas bus will now roll in December and January as it took a private donation to make this happen, I guess someone in the private sector still believes in the season as it is quite obvious that the City doesn’t!!!! Maybe it is time that the public boycotts the Transit System for a week or two, then maybe some of these clowns would get the message!!! I doubt it though as they are only concerned about there own livelihoods and their paychecks every two weeks. So I guess being the countries 5^th largest city with one of the worst transit systems really doesn’t count for anything. Bellingham Washington which is a very small town in Northern Washington State has a better Transit System than Phoenix and they have a population of maybe 50,000 people, go figure!! So maybe it is time for the City Officials to start focusing there concerns on the people that count on transit to make a living rather than what is best for themselves, I hope everyone remembers this when some of them come up for re-election.

THE COTTON EXPRESS KEEPS ON ROLLING DOWN THE TRACKS WITH TOM CALLOW AT THE CONTROLS.

Here is the latest City Transit News on how the City plans to shaft the Public and the late night work force who count on the late night service to get to and from work. Debbie Cotton and Tom Callow now plan to cut Service by the end of December 2008, these cuts will be 500am service instead of 400am and the last pick ups at night will be 10:00pm, nothing later. All Saturday Service will now be Sunday Schedules. MV Dial-a-Ride will now ONLY PICK UP ADA passengers (nothing else), and the Dash Buses will have the last 2 hrs of their runs abolished here real quick. This is all for December with another 22.5 million in cuts to be made in July 2009.So can someone please tell me how in the hell the City can claim that they really do care about the pubic that counts on early morning and late night bus service to get to and from work?? Considering that Phoenix is the 5^th Largest City in the Country and its Transit System is by far one of the worst. I guess if the City hadn’t spent MEGA MILLIONS on the light rail stations and all the fancy art work to go with it, there might be some money left over for the bus service. If the City is so worried about money; why not clear out some of the DEAD WEIGHT at City Hall and the Transit Department at the Compass Building; I am sure that could pay to keep some buses on the road .

But who gives a RAT’S ASS it is only the Public and the Bus Operators as well as all the Businesses on Central that are going to pay the price of this latest Brain Storm by our City Transportation Experts. I guess the City figures the businesses on Central haven’t suffered enough in the last 3 years as Central was torn apart for Light Rail, lets screw them a little more by cutting out late night bus service, who needs people to frequent downtown at night any way!!! And don’t forget that the CITY is going to let everybody RIDE LIGHT RAIL FOR FREE for the first FULL WEEK of service. One really has to wonder what Debbie and the City Managers are doing with all the FEDERAL money that has been given to Phoenix. Oh well, with the price of gas up and the economy in the toilet, bus ridership up about 22% why the hell should we care about BUS SERVICE? As long as all the City Managers keep getting a paycheck, who gives a DAMN about the riding public, the Operators who need a paycheck, as well as all the business owners who need employees being able to get to and from work, as well as customers to patronize their businesses. As the City Grows the TRANSIT SYSTEM SHRINKS makes a lot of sense to me, how about you?

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY 4^TH OF JULY TO PHOENIX AND 1^ST TRANSIT OPERATORS FROM THE CITY OF PHOENIX!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After sitting through 2 transportation meetings today the news only gets worse, and once more who is going to suffer? The riding public and the operators of course. It was made known to us at the 800am meeting that there will be a 5 million dollar service cut at the end of December 2008, so MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR from the City of Phoenix Public Transportation Department and the City Managers. But who the hell cares as long as the City keeps getting the Federal Money in their Palms.

Then we have HAPPY 4^TH OF JULY to all Operators and the Riding Public as it was also announced at the 800am meeting that come July 2009 their will be a 22 MILLION DOLLAR SERVICE REDUCTION, that’s right I said 22 MILLION DOLLARS in service reductions come July 2009. Does DEBBIE COTTON and THE CITY MANAGERS care about the Operators that have car payments and mortgage payments? Or do they even give a damn about the inconvenience that this will cause the people that count on the bus as their mean mode of transportation? Some how I really doubt it. If I had to make a wager I would bet that PHOENIX is NOT going to hire any more classes this year and probably very few next year if any. Doing some very quick math we figure 8-10 operators per million dollars without knowing exactly how they are going to implement these ridiculous cuts.

I know they are not going to get rid of any of the TOP HEAVY management in the CITY TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT to lessen the burden on the operators and the public so that really only seems to leave 1 choice?????????

I would really recommend that we all band together and show up at the next transportation committee meeting and let them know just what we think of their STUPIDITY. And then we can carry it over to the Council meeting and let MAYOR PHIL GORDON know exactly what we think at the same time!!!!!!

Maybe it is time to get the MEDIA in full blown on this issue seeing as how the media loves to attack the Operators, now maybe it is time to let them attack the COTTON EXPRESS!!!!!!

      PHOENIX BAH HUMBUG!!!

Just when you thought that things couldn’t get any worse, DEBBIE COTTON and the City Managers and Transportation Committee have sunken to a new low, and have gone to show us all that they don’t care about the Operators or the public and are trying to mask it all with the Famous Line BUDGET CUTS!!!

For the first time in many years the Phoenix Operators will not be participating in the Bus Rodeo due once more to the famous BUDGET CUTS. The Christmas Holiday bus will NOT be out running in December and January due to BUDGET CUTS!!! So much for the Phoenix Operators that look forward every year to participating in the Rodeo as they have for many years past. All the other companies think it absolutely great as they see themselves having a chance of winning it this year. Pretty funny how all the other companies can still participate in the Rodeo, and 4 of them are Veolia Properties!!!!! So I guess what is good for the Operator really doesn’t matter when it comes to Debbie and the rest of the City Managers. Then we have the Holiday Bus that has put a smile on so many faces over the Holidays, little kids and especially the elderly who this bus really helps out during the Holiday Season, as well as the many Operators that have the privilege of driving this festive bus. But it’s only the public and the Operator that are going to suffer once more. If it is a money issue, then why doesn’t the city cut back on the amount of top heavy mangers that they carry on a daily basis?

Lets get back to the BUDGET CUTS!!!!! Debbie and the City Managers want to pass off transit in Phoenix as a first class system, yet we have no real protection out there, we have the homeless that think the bus stops are there personal apartment with nothing done about it. Now between Phoenix Transit and 1^st Transit we are looking at between a 20 to 30% reduction in service, which by our figures translate into approximately 200 or better cut in Operators. This kind of cut will also be the elimination of routes throughout the City and West Valley but lets not worry about it as we are a first class service and continually receive Federal Money to operate. Maybe if the Feds knew exactly how things were run, then the money would dry up. But lets not worry about the 20 to 30% reduction in service that we are not supposed to know about, it will only affect the PUBLIC as well as the livelihood of many OPERATORS, but that is ok as DEBBIE COTTON and the CITY MANAGERS will still all be receiving their paychecks. Maybe it is again time to call up our friendly reporter at the NEW TIMES and let her run this story throughout the Valley for ALL to read.