TriMet employees please take the time to visit this website to learn how you can use a Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS  or more commonly FSA) to help cover costs associated with eligible dependent care expenses https://fsafeds.com/explore/dcfsa/expenses. These flexible spending programs provide a pre-tax financial benefit that can be used to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses that are not covered by your health care plan or elsewhere. The Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) uses your pre-tax dollars to pay for qualified out-of-pocket health care expenses, while the dependent care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) pays for various child and adult care services so you can go to work. Remember, FSA is a benefit that you can elect during the open enrollment. New hires are also able to select this benefit during their initial benefit selections.

Also be aware that TriMet is updating their Confidentiality Policy concerning work related communication shared on personal social media accounts. Please be careful of any work information that you share on your social media accounts. It’s best to keep a distinction between business communication, and your personal life and information. Discussing work issues in your personal social media accounts can really come back and bite you on the back side.

I am continuing to meet with TriMet regarding the Security Dispatchers. I’m meeting with the General Manager, Sam Desue, and Bonnie Todd on Friday May 18th, to see how we can improve the staffing numbers of this team.  There needs to be more ATU members represented in that department as was the plan from two years ago. But, when you have a USED CAR SALESMAN at the helm, every move made must be watched.

We have been having a busy spring following the busy winter as we continue to make the right moves to improve the conditions of members across ATU Local! The First Student PPS Mechanics contract has been ratified and went into effect beginning April 15th. It’s a five-year contract. The members are very pleased to see the movement in their wages. On April 23, we met in Eugene with LTD Public Safety Bargaining and established some tentative agreements (TAs). We hope that LTD continues to show appreciation for their employees. They need them and now is the time to show some love. Then on Thursday April 25, we had our second negotiation meeting with Yamhill County Transit District. This group needs to make the right decisions in order to attract the much needed employees and keep them.

We met with Walla Walla on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. We had some tentative agreements (TA) when we met with them last month. Now we are getting down to negotiations and the real meat and potatoes, although I prefer the Walla Walla sweet onions. I look forward to providing additional updates as negotiations continue. 

We will be meeting with C-Tran this month to discuss the installation of cameras in the new operations building employee lounge. I don’t like that they want to put cameras in the employee lounge area. Our members need to have a space at work where they can have discussions with their co-workers without being under constant surveillance. It’s bad enough with all the cameras on the buses and at transit centers without management spying on their every move.