Another mostly-empty bus; thank God for Saturdays. |
It's difficult to describe my feelings right now. We're all in a strange place, and everything we know as "normal" has gone awry. Mostly what I feel is pissed off, for a number of reasons. I can't go into them all at the moment or I'll likely have a stroke. It has all been boiling and is often right at the point of blowing through my steam hole.
Here's just three points I'm dealing with right now as a Portland bus operator. There are dozens, but these are topmost in my mind.
1) Yes, we are "heroes" to risk our lives every moment we operate a city bus. No more, no less than many others who have endured to serve the past three months. True, Oregon's COVID-19 numbers are less than many other states' statistics. Mostly because we're trying to keep it at bay by adhering to simple actions set forth by health professionals. However, as the economy has slowly awakened\ we have seen a sharp increase in positive test results for the Coronavirus. The more people interact with others, the likelihood of catching the virus increases. It should scare the hell out of us. Given that under normal conditions, a full-time bus operator comes into contact with approximately 150,000 people each year, our chances of being infected are exponentially-higher than most. Given our transit agency's lax attitude toward our well-being and health versus its pampered "customer base", our infection risk is amplified a hundredfold. No hazard pay. No consequences for those who board and refuse to wear a mask. Of course, the economic conditions have rendered many jobless so no fare enforcement is a temporary economic reality. However, a great deal of people who can pay refuse to do so because they know they won't be penalized. A bus operator can tell the difference between a classic fare evader and an honest citizen who can't even afford to pay attention.
Anguish through art, captured upon the boarded-up Apple Store in Downtown Portland. |
3) This brings me to certain members of the GM's "leadership team" (not capitalized for good reason). For the past 10-15 years, our transit agency has morphed into some Orwellian Corporata, created by, and for, the benefit of itself. Its lax oversight by a Governor-appointed "Bored" of Directors means it can pretty much do what it wants, and to hell with the lugnuts of transit. Besides our smiling untouchable "leader", he has an axe man to do the dirty work. That's the current Director of Employee and Labor Relations. This fella is a doozy, folks. He's been quoted as saying "morale doesn't concern me", and flippantly saying he doesn't think public sector employees deserve a pension or retirement income. Great choice, Mr. GM. Perhaps "heroes" deserve a bit more respect than a boot print on our way out the door.
I could go on indefinitely. I've been verbally assaulted and threatened recently, disrespected several times each week. I was called a "white motherfucker" by someone I politely asked to wear a mask. He also threatened to pull me through my window as I refused to acknowledge his misplaced anger. My brother Henry was spit upon. Others have been punched, threatened and harassed, but the guy at the top of the chain doesn't give a damn about morale. My health insurance premium tripled last December, erasing all the previous pay raises our last contract afforded us. If I'm seen not wearing a face mask while on duty, now I'm threatened with suspension or termination, but my passengers fear no recrimination. I can't work from home, and it takes grit of superhuman strength to endure on the job in normal conditions, let alone under pandemic uncertainty.
Waiting to see the light in vast darkness. |
So... nah. My demise wouldn't be newsworthy save for the initial blood spill. Blood and gore draw media attention; working class anguish does not. I'd be replaced by some wide-eyed rookie with 10 minutes of experience. Hey, I might even get some mention on the local news. But a day later, it would be business as usual. No mention of my 200,000 safe miles, scores of commendations, or literary anguish via Blogger.
I'm no hero. I'm just another expendable body in the seat.
Amen, well said (or rather wrote). I think you've touch on every driver's feelings right now perfectly. I was threatened of being written up and sited for being outside, no one around and didn't have my mask on. I waited while my manager walked, holding the open door for her, and she said put on your mask. I said I'm outside, there's no one here. She said, you're on TriMet property, I don't want to have to suspend you. Really? No what the signage states all around the facility, right beside "Heroes work here". Incredible.
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed, so hard these days, to receive any really genuine appreciation from higher up for the work we do. And not helping is the public perception that us transit and rail workers are making heaps of money and call us greedy when we call for raises at contract time.
ReplyDeleteGosh, if they knew what comes out of our paychecks BEFORE taxes, never mind after... they'd be singing a different tune. Besides health insurance and the other usuals, add in job insurance, or as we call it "bad boy" insurance... so that if for some reason we are suspended for an infraction, justified or not, we would get a payment from the insurance company each week based on the plan we were paying premiums for. Nothing near our normal pay levels, but at least something to keep the wolves at bay until we are back to work again.
We're all just bodies in the seat to them....
Waiting for management to make a rule about masks was idiotic.
ReplyDeleteIf we in the rank and file had been insisting on PPE and n95 respirators starting four months ago we could then have mounted a credible effort to get hazard pay. If you've been "refusing" to wear protection up til now for some puerile reason I suggest you look at your bank balance. There a few thousand dollars missing thanks to the insistence of so many of us that there wasn't a hazard, it was "just the flu" or whatever Sean Hannity programs people to think. Hope you all are happy you glorious rebel liberty-lovers.
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