Conference Live 2005
Conference Live
2001
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Focus on the Present
Trends In the World Around us See From
A Stakeholder Perspective
Day 2
Tasking:
A. Dark Green Group - Business Unit General Managers:
- Noticed a lot of diversity of dots in growth and unionism. General interest from
everybody.
- Noticed some diversity in working conditions attitude. Seems to be a theme of
separation of seniority in different places.
- Stakeholders were concerned about customers and employees.
- Diversity of Dots
- Retirement
- Fairness
- Growth
- Unionism
- Personal working conditions -> diverse but not as many dots
- Attitude -> lots of dots, diversity declines as line goes out
- Theme of separation of seniority – shows up in several places
- Customer, skill, development
- Staffing, reserve service “system” for customer -> integrity and culture
- Recognizing skill, job, location
B. Red Group – Maintenance Building and Parts:
- Most important on their list was selfishness. It affects all of the other problems:
Retirement – Fairness very important - Unionism – all stakeholders groups felt this
to be an issue
- Not everyone is on the same page
- Many are selfish
- Retirement - (together)
- The most unified is fairness
- Unionism – (more together)
C. Light Blue Group - Operators Fixed Route Bus/Transit
- Attitude most important issue on their board. It is because of attitude that this
group is here.
- Retirement is also an important issue. They would like to see early retirement
benefit, with no penalties. They would like to see rail and transit work as a team.
They want to remind everyone that seniority is our future.
- Attitude: we all need to work towards a safe transit process
- Elitist attitude – chaos, discontent
- Attitude affects everyone
- Because of existing attitude: reason for being here
- Retirement benefits/personal working conditions
- Early retirement benefits
- Retirement is of greater importance as a bargaining chip
- One company/one seniority/transit operator
- Unified operations for future
- Rail, bus, Para transit
- Work as team instead of individually
- Seniority and the right to move
- Maintaining according to seniority
- Seniority is future
D. Orange Group – ATU Executive Committee:
Half a day wouldn’t cover everything on their list. Selfishness is a perspective.
The other trend is retirement. Longevity is where sonority comes from. Seniority is a
valuable commodity. It is earned, it is part of the perspective that's brought in here.
- Selfishness
- Early out
- With liberty and justice for all
E. Purple Group – Maintenance – Fixed route bus, facilities and Para-Transit
- Selfishness: are you, or am I?
- We must stop the bickering amongst the group and we must stop this. If we have to
change seniority it should be one seniority and it should be companywide.
- Understanding the present
- To see the big picture
- To stop the inter-bickering
- Promote from within
- Like seniority: parts, maintenance, operations, if seniority has to change it
need to be companywide
F. Yellow Group - Para-transit and rail operators
- Is very much a matter of perspective? Decided that there is unwillingness for
growth or change. There should be an exploration of crafts per business unit. We
all need to understand. We have the ability to do the hard projects n this company
that could make fairness and equality for all of us.
- Business Unit Seniority
- Selfishness
- All sides (UTA/ATU)
- Lack of information/knowledge
- Unwillingness to explore change/growth
- Craft seniority by BU
- Clarification of crafts by BU
- Understanding differences
- Fairness and equality for each BU
G. Black Group - Rail Vehicle Maintenance, MOW, Facilities Group
One of the most important things was our craft, to break down into crafts. Each of
us has different skills and these should be recognized. Separate within the conglomerate.
Most of management doesn't see the whole picture. Willingness to change. Lack of
understanding. We need to protect what is important to each of us.
- Crafts:
- Job Class – clarification
- Security and protection
- Knowledge, experience, skills
- Separate:
- Business unit seniority
- Separate locals
- Separation within the conglomeration
- Fairness:
- Whole picture not seen
- Equality of life
- Personal working conditions
- Lack of understanding
- Willingness to change
- Choices of individuals
H. Light Green Group – Administration, Managers and Others
- Selfishness
- Trends and tendencies – in divisions and dividing
- How what we have learned has impacted us
- Seniority and Skills impacts the organization
- Perception of selfishness/self interest between different BU's
- Divisions
- -> BU's
- -> Modes
- -> Job classifications growth
- Mutual concern for fairness
- Growth
- Knowledge, experience, and skills
- Customer service
- Separation within the conglomerate
- Recruitment, selection and promotion
- Contract negotiation
- Contract administration
- Ability to have the right skill
- Flexibility
- Efficiency
- Cost
- Broad skills vs. specialties
I. Dark Blue Group – Administrative Supervisors Bus, Rail, Maintenance
- All employees (UTA) – Seniority process contractual issues
- Quality of life
- Attitude – good
- Perception
- Fairness
- Respect
- Safely
- Customers
Ten minutes of opinions:
- Just talk about the issues and would like to see the bickering stopped
- Allegiance versus selfishness – we don’t want to confuse those two.
- Come together as employees and then wee can solve our issues
- We need to realize that we have to come together. No matter what we do here and
get support and get along with each other, there is nothing
- RGM’s need to come out and see what is going on out in the units.
- Elitist – There needs to be more togetherness
- Seniority – They feel they have earned. Had to start at the bottom like everyone
else
- Perspective and knowledge – This group is part of a whole. We need growth and
change. Must not be fractured, but work as a team.
- The “blue bible” - suggest everyone look at it to prepare for tomorrow’s discussion
- Recognize the crafts over seniority in many cases
Deepen Understanding of the Present:
To help each stakeholder group contribute to the present situation
Focus on the Present Trends in the World around us Seen from a Stakeholder Perspective
The Group will create a “mind map” of all trends and tendencies affecting the conference
theme right now.
- Ground Rules for mind-mapping:
- This is a group brainstorm- no evaluation no censorship
- Person who names the issues say where it goes on the map
- Opposing points of view are OK
- Give examples. Speak in terms of WHO and/or WHAT. More cellular
Reflections
“Prouds” and “Sorries” – Owning up reports
Purpose: To learn how we feel about the current situation regarding Bargaining Unit
Seniority and to understand what stakeholders see as their contributions to what’s working
and what’s not working with current bargaining unit Seniority at Utah Transit Authority.
Generate a list of what you as a stakeholder group is “Most Proud Of” and what you are “Most Sorry About” in relation to Bargaining Unit Seniority. Also, share the “Proudest
Prouds” and the “Sorriest Sorries”:
This is an activity to own what is. It is NOT about blaming or problem solving
A. Purple Group – Maintenance – Fixed Route Bus, Facilities and Para-Transit
- Focus on the Present
- Prouds
- Proud of high sonority people: who are where they want to be!
- Tried and true tested and works!
- Ownership of biding process
- New collective bargaining unit agreements
- Favoritism is gone as long as you have seniority
- Seniority is earned over time and not just given
- Provides peace of mind
- Sorries:
- You don’t have any
- About misinterpretation of seniority
- Frequency of bidding necessary bidding
- Some people get bumped from shift if they want or were on
- Wanting to change something that works
- That nonmembers have seniority
- We are even here fighting about it
- Most Proud:
- Seniority is earned over time, not just given
- Most Sorry:
- Wanting to change something that works
B. Light Green Group – Administration – Managers and Others
- Prouds:
- Creating the opportunity to resolve issue in a collective way
- Promotion, transfer, development opportunities fro within (contribution)
- Perspective of views (within BU and Non BU)
- No layoffs
- Longevity of employment
- Sorries:
- Have not been able to help resolve issue(s) sooner
- Employees feel they have not been heard
- Have not found a better way to bridge gaps between different groups
C. Red Group – Maintenance Building and Parts
- Most Proud of:
- Used seniority to relocate to a different county
- Gave opportunity to move to a different job classification
- Your personal seniority as personal value
- Maintain company seniority regardless of department
- Seniority has tried to reward longevity on the job
- Gives you the ability to chose shifts based on personal need
- Give you the right to future movement with company as it grows
- Give you the opportunity to get the most desired shifts
- Gives you the choice of days worked
-
- Most sorry about:
- Loss of seniority due to temporary quitting
- Sometimes job classification overrules company seniority
- Sometimes seniority overrules job qualification
- Does not allow input into staffing needs
- Force you to train someone to take your position
- Sometimes seniority does not always dictate who receives specialist training.
D. Light Blue Group – Operators Fixed Route Bus
- Most Proud of:
- Ability to achieve seniority
- Ability to se seniority to improve working and personal conditions
- Vacations
- Work preferences
- Pursue hobbies
- Lifestyle
- Right to move within the company
- *Proud that something is being done now to resolve issues*
- Proud to be part of a nationally recognized transportation organization
- Proud of a union that fights for the growth of whole company
- Most Sorry:
- Sorry that it has come to this
- Sorry about inequality of pay between different operations groups
Flextrans
- Benefits do not reflect longevity
- Sorry about “wall” between business units
- Sorry that we haven’t taken action until now
- Sorry that we haven’t referred to past history to identify seniority
problems and solutions
E. Yellow Group – Operators - Rail and Para-Transit
- Sorries:
- Inter-departmental people with rail seniority are not allowed to make lateral
move BU
- Seniority issue has caused such a rift, and opportunities were squandered to
grasp hold of it and deal with difficult issue before now
- Sorry that not all people are encouraged to come to rail
- That everyone doesn’t understand complexity of our job and unwillingness to
obtain the knowledge of what it entails
- Prouds:
- Para-transit and rail has great internal camaraderie and problem
solving/mentoring between senior and less senior operators.
- Para-transit operators were able to transfer to rail and earn a higher wage.
Transferred according to their seniority
- Rail-operators and maintenance work side by side in a partnership
*We know each other
- Extra board operators were able to come to rail as a regular operator –
“Received 40 hour guarantee – 2 days off”
- Most sorry:
- Sorry that we are viewed as ELITIST
- We feel that ATU/UTA refuses to recognize, understand, or address the
needs of RAIL employees
- Most proud:
- That we have a unity between administration ops and all parts of
maintenance
i.e., vehicle maintenance-mow-admin-parts, etc.
F. Dark Green – BU RGM’s
- Prouds:
- Longevity of people across the board
- ATU relationship
- Contract negotiations
- Expansion
- No layoffs
- Community acceptance and respect
- Proud to work for UTA
- Longevity of ATU seniority system (worked well in past)
- Employees – ownership and pride
- 2000 referendum
- Ability to provide initial in-house opportunity for rail positions
- Good transition into a multi-modal agency
- Sorries:
-
- Don’t do more of these type of things
- Consistent visibility of upper management
- Lack of awareness of effort and thought that went into the current
system of transition
- Not a better system than seniority to reward longevity, ability, and
performance through compensation
- Current system causes dissatisfaction among some
- Lack of appreciation that being different does not make people better or worse
- Most Proud:
- Can provide in-house opportunity for jobs
- New apprenticeship program in bus maintenance
A. Dark Blue – Administrative supervisors – Bus, Rail, Maintenance
- Prouds:
- Seniority = security
- Skill of employees
- Willingness to be part of a start-up
- Uphold seniority rights
- Recognize and solve problems
- Sorries:
- Vacation bid seniority or part time operators
- Wasn't addressed in beginning
- Inconsistency of way seniority is used
- Using the process to safeguard people in present positions
- Seniority doesn't take into consideration skills and abilities
- Administration loses seniority when leaving bargaining unit
- Separation or division cause by reorganization
B. Black Group – Maintenance – Rail Vehicle, MOW, Facilities
- Most proud of: FAIRNESS
- We bid the open job only when there is a new opening
- Experience and seniority
- Our jobs were created, and we defined our responsibilities
- Facilities maintenance
- Most sorry:
- Many less senior persons accepted in these new challenging positions ore
senior persons declined
- Our level of skills have outgrow or seniority
- New craft was learned, yet previous seniority applied for bid
C. Orange Group – Union Executive Committee
- Proud of: Seniority
- Proud to retain all work for our members
- Proud of what the union stands for
- (Seniority = equality)
- Promotions by seniority (not by subjectivity)
- Current seniority has made the company successful
- Seniority is valuable ** if it wasn’t we would not be here today!!
- Seniority respects longevity
- Sorry about:
- Separation that is being caused by business unit concepts
• Meaning: the changes that has been created
Purpose: To learn what you want for the future of bargaining unit seniority at Utah
Transit Authority, listen for images and hopes that are shared between all of us and
craft significant ideas that give meaning, dignity, and purpose to YOU and your coworkers
in the year 2010.
- Mixed Group #1
- Those positions requiring special skills are occupied by employees with highest skills.
- Employees secured in their desired positions
- BU granted authority to develop seniority structures within the BU, with ATU partnership
- We have incentive base pay for outstanding performance
- Happy Employees – Happy Passengers
- Mixed Group #2
Option 1 - Vested System
- After 3 years of continuous on job employment. In one of the following jobs.
The employee becomes vested
| Bus Operators |
Bus Mechanic |
| Flex Operators |
Rail Service |
| Rail Operators |
Rail Mechanic – electro |
| Commuter Rail |
Bus Service Employee |
| Parts |
M.O.W. |
| Facilities Maintenance |
Body Shop |
| Bus Helper |
Machine Shop |
- Three year vested employee cannot be bumped from job title seniority
- Can only bump people with less than 3 years n job. After 3 years on job you
become vested
- Time and grade continues to accumulate
- Total company seniority for benefits
- Prior to effective date an open period would be provided for people to move into
their job titles
Option 2 – Companywide Seniority
- Open bid for qualified individual positions
- January 15, 2006 – bidding list
- July 15, 2006 – Drop dead date
After this date you move, you start at the bottom
Company seniority for retirement, vacation, benefits
Mixed group #3 –
- Machine tat calculates a seniority number based on several criteria (length of
time @ UTA, skill level, training, time in craft=formula)
- Bus seniority, Commuter Rail, Rail Seniority, Moving=going in at bottom of the
current seniority and freezing years of service in craft you let (initial staffing
you go by current seniority, then door closes)
- System remains as is, develop Rail Maintenance apprenticeship Program and Rail Operators.
- Craft seniority, craft determined by training, start at bottom of our craft and
broken up into Business Units, new position lateral transfer 1st, then posted to
that Business Unit, then if not filled goes to all Business Units, but only
Bargaining Unit employees, and not filled by Administration, then if not filled go
to the street. ATU/union/local. Leave craft/Business Unit your seniority
freezes. One-year window to come over, then above system kicks in. Commit
with opportunity to pass. All crafts have 2-year commitment.
- Same seniority, training options for all aspects (jobs) during new employee
training so they are familiar with all jobs in company.
- One union – able to meet and solve issues like this, and majority rules continue
dialog about training needs, growth and development
- Current system in tact – change roster – go from start to finish and then start
over again
- In craft areas, shifts are assigned while on the job training is taking place -
once trained you exercise seniority to get shift
Mixed Group # 4 –
- Move from one craft to another craft
- Up to a 2-year experience period (the length of which varies by craft) during
which you cannot exercise your seniority.
Mixed Group # 5 –
- Employees self empowered
- Flexibility to total seniority as a commodity or value
- System wide seniority base on date of hire
- Cross train employees to do other duties
- Reward based on longevity and accident free, performance, attendance
- Early retirement with benefits
Mixed Group #6 –
Seniority - Meets needs of all
- Future
- Pay related to seniority
- Pay incentives for more senior people to take less desirable shifts
- Impossible to meet needs of all
- Move ob skills and seniority
- Move Business Unit seniority
- Seniority and ability for expansion
- Ability to allow for earlier retirement
- Seniority companywide will not meet needs
- Ops/Maint only 2 seniority rosters
- Seniority helps retain skilled people
- 2010 Seniority
- Extra Board eliminated as we know it today
- X years and out/retirement or formula
- Blended seniority – combination of time in job and company
- Preserve companywide seniority for benefits
- Seniority is important- 10 year freeze company seniority for new
position
- 10 year freeze for Operations by Business Unit
Mixed Group #7 –
- Job Security
- Ability to Move
- Efficient use of Skills
- Fairness
- Respect
- Customer Service
Mixed Group #8 -
- Future of Bargaining Unit Se3niort in 2010
- Protection of individuals time and experience
- Vested
- Make roster declaring you intention
- Once roster is gone through anybody going to that position starts at
bottom
- Chance of advancement by choice with expansion
Mixed Group #9 –
- Craft seniority
- Company seniority
- One sigh-up list for going to TRAX
- Leave seniority alone
- All TRAX drivers promoted from existing system first
- I’m glad they aft seniority alone because now I have some and my job is
GREAT!!
- Two classifications for electro mechanics
- Apprenticeship for all crafts
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