TriMet and Race
The Back Story
By Jonathan Hunt, President

Bargaining unit members were shocked to read the TriMet general manager's announcement that the agency had created two new big-paying positions of "Director of Diversity and Transit Equity" and "Multicultural Program Manager." It seems like a peculiar thing to do since "poverty" is management's continual cry when it comes to improving the lives of TriMet workers - many of whom are minorities. So why did TriMet management choose now to create two more management jobs?

What follows is a “backstory” that could lead a cynic to say it was management trying to head off media inquiries about TriMet’s history with regard to racism. Certainly, cynicism lay behind management’s claim that this new team “will continue TriMet’s regional and national leadership in transit equity...”

In 2009, the Union became alarmed at what appeared to be a much higher incidence of discipline and discharge being experienced by employees of color at TriMet. This was initially brought to light in a case involving a woman of color who never tested positive for drugs, but then was placed on five years follow-up because she had a shy bladder and couldn’t pee. Documents obtained in that case showed whites with positive tests were placed on much shorter follow-up plans. This suggested racism in action.

We also saw that TriMet would subcontract rider advocate work to minority organizations. The NE Coalition for NE and N Portland, a Hispanic organization for East Multnomah County. The minorities providing the service for this program were grossly underpaid and received minimal benefits. TriMet turned a deaf ear to the pleas of the Union and the minority organizations to treat these employees better. This suggested racism in action.

The apparent trend of discrimination with discipline and discharge continued so the Union hired an expert to analyze the patterns of discipline and discharge. He did so using TriMet’s own EEOC reports. The results were more alarming than the Union expected. The expert said, among other things about the rate of discipline for minorities: “The probability that this pattern of minority discipline could occur by chance is only .0036, or slightly less than four times out of one thousand.”

The facts get even worse. The expert also confirmed the Union’s perception that terminations were grossly unbalanced against minorities. Given the termination numbers, the expert stated that “There are only two chances out of a thousand that this pattern of termination for Cause of minority employees would be seen without some underlying cause.”

Once the study was completed, the question became what to do with it. The Union was aware that certain attorneys had agreed to take on discrimination cases against TriMet. The Union contacted those attorneys, offered use of the study and agreed to keep it confidential until the attorneys could use it.

In late Spring 2011, while preparing for one of these discrimination trials, TriMet was finally given a copy of the study. Two things happened in short order. First, TriMet settled one case. Second, TriMet hired yet two more managers: a “Director of Diversity and Transit Equity” and a “Multicultural Program Manager.”

One has to wonder though why, at the same time as these two positions were created, TriMet promoted into an ever greater position of power, the very individual who had worked the most to uphold and continue the apparently unequal targeting of minorities for discipline and discharge. This suggests continued racism in action.

And it hasn’t stopped. Most people are aware that managers are getting caught for inappropriate use of TriMet computers. One has to wonder why one manager was fired while others got only suspensions. One obvious answer is that the terminated employee is a minority. The suspended employees are white. This suggests continued racism in action.

TriMet management can seek to fool its media bosses by putting on the face of diversity in its management ranks. From where we sit, so far, TriMet has done nothing more than frost a cardboard cake.

To obtain a copy of the study, follow this link.