We’ll See What Happens

Another union-meeting drifts into the filmy past.
For 16&1/2 years (1977-1993) I drove transit bus for Regional Transit Service, the transit-bus operator in Rochester, NY. While there I belonged to the local division (“Local 282”) of the nationwide Amalgamated Transit Union. Our local holds a regular business meeting the third Thursday of each month.
Bylaw changes were at issue. It generated large attendence — about 50 instead of 10.
Our union is not in compliance with the International constitution. It has two full-time union officials; a president and a business-agent.
The International constitution combines president and business-agent into one full-time union official.
To make this change our local union membership has to approve a bylaw change.
Also at issue is the number of people on our union’s Executive Board. We currently have 12. The suggestion is eight. Another bylaw change.
Lots of noisy fulminating and breast-beating.
I don’t know why I attend these meetings......
I can’t vote.
And it seems Transit is no longer what it was when I worked there; so my attendence is rather irrelevant.
About all I’m doing by showing up is demonstrating support for my union.
As a Transit retiree, about all that matters is that -A) my retiree benefits continue, and -B) my pension increase with the cost-of-living. It can; it’s negotiable — it’s not fixed.
The madness that Transit has become is no longer something I parry.
It was bad enough when I worked there, and has gotten worse.
At this meeting I spent more time reading a railroad book than following what was happening.
People were foaming about how -A) reducing officialdom would negate checks and balances, yet -B) with two union officials nothing ever gets done.
One “brother” complained reduction of officialdom and the Executive Board was just a blatant power-grab.
Another, an Executive Board member, complained that reducing the Executive Board was reversing their getting representation on it — which was a struggle.
Bylaw changes need a two-thirds majority to pass; 38 for versus 30 against. —They didn’t pass.
By not passing, our union is subject to discipline from the International, I guess.
The International might “trustee” our union and take over.
An International official had been around for a while, and advocated the bylaw change.
But it crashed.
Now we’ll see what happens.

• RE: “Reading a railroad book......” —I am a railfan, and have been since I was a child.