Th e COVID Cor n er Fr om M et Cou n cil Covid-19 Updat es;. Metro Transit employees who test positive for Covid and have verifiable results will not be charged as an occurrence for their absence due to contracting the virus. Tests performed by a medical professional or recognized Covid testing facility are the only verifiable results that will be accepted. The at-home test will not be accepted as a verifiable test result.
M ar t in J Ru t er Gar age Closin g Soon By Brent Perry #75034
photo courtesy of metrotransit.org Workers were notified in March of Metro Transit's plans to
surprising. While the official reasoning has focused on ridership levels and the opening of the new garage, some workers think there is more to it than management is saying. The building was not originally designed to be a garage. In 2017, Metro Transit notified the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency that a leaking fuel dispenser had polluted soil around the garage.
discontinue the use of MJ Ruter Garage for bus operations. Management is saying that the closure will happen in March 2023, but many workers at Ruter are skeptical of the timeline and feel that news of the closure is being sprung on them. Metro Transit began construction on the new bus garage near Heywood in May 2020. The new garage is largely expected to replace the facilities that Ruter provided, but there have been construction delays, calling into question what the actual timeline for these job transitions will be.
Whatever the reasons, the closure will have negative effects on some workers. Many who work at Ruter live in and around Brooklyn Center. They will have to drive an additional eight miles to get to
The selection of Ruter as a target for closure might not be
work at the new garage, or even further if they end up at another garage. Ridership has decreased, but a key driver of that decrease has been service cuts which are a result of the driver shortage. One might wonder whether increasing wages to counter the losses in staffing might have been an alternative solution to this situation. Whatever happens, workers at Ruter deserve to know what the real plan is and to be given a concrete timeframe.
Ju n et een t h Holiday Juneteenth is a newly recognized Holiday this year for Council employees. The Juneteenth Holiday will be handled the same way MLK Day is handled in that it is a working holiday. If an employee would like to take this day in conjunction with vacation, the employee must use vacation by the week and can elect to receive holiday pay or float the holiday. Because of the timing of the implementation of the Juneteenth Holiday all regular services such as customer relations and transit information will operate on a regular schedule while the Mail Room, Overhaul Base, and Radio/Electronic shops will be closed on the recognized Juneteenth day, Monday, June 20, 2022. If you work in an office setting and are unsure whether or not your office will be closed on June 20, 2022, please contact your immediate supervisor for clarification.. and signing up, paying five dollars will get you some discounts with these companies. To sign up you have to give them your work email and the yearly fee - yes, yearly - of five dollars and you're ready to go. Here is a brief list of the types of things you will find;
Addit ion al Ben ef it s f or Un ion M em ber s & St at e Em ployees By Chris Ptacek #72037 Is there more to work than life? Often it seems that all we do is work, come home and repeat. You literally work just to live. What if there was just a little more than trading time for money? Maybe there is and you didn't know it? You are likely aware of the supplemental insurance that the union offers. This would be the short and long-term disability critical illness and the rest. It's nice but what if there was more. Did you know that through the union there is a credit card that is offered? This card is offered only to union members. It's called the union plus card and you can check it out online by searching union
www.atu1005.com
plus card.com .
to employees among other services. It could save a person a lot of money. The service costs all employees and nothing. From time to time it seems everybody will need the expertise of someone well-versed in the legal industry. Being state employees comes with the benefit of getting discounts from a good number of other companies. By going to mnsei.com
For those that work at Metro Transit there is also the credit union at the information center. There are also a number of banks and credit unions that are friendly to union members. Also at Metro Transit Sand Creek offers legal advice and assistance
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Youth/adults sport classes, Museum/music/theater tickets, retail/gifts, health products/services, hotels /travel and resorts, car sales/service, restaurants, real estate/realtors/home mortgage, professional services, education/childcare, sport tickets and events. There are literally hundreds of companies that are on the list. Ever go to the movies, they have deals with most theaters. Own a cell phone, and they have deals with all the major carriers. Ever use happenings book or diners club cards they got those as well. For five dollars a year it's worth taking a look at.
1005 Line - May/June 2022