June 19, 2009 Volume 110 Number 12

Hunt re-elected at ATU 757

In ballots counted June 5, Jon Hunt was elected to a second three-year term as president of Portland-headquartered Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757. Challenger Bruce Hansen received 1,010 votes to Hunt’s 1,260.

The 4,300-member union represents employees of TriMet, C-TRAN and other transit agencies, plus units of school bus drivers and paratransit drivers. President is the local’s top elected office, and functions also as full-time business manager.

Hunt, 38, said his goals for the second term include continuing to reduce the backlog in grievances; a new mediation and arbitration process is shortening the process.

He also said he hopes to get more young members involved. Hunt said he grew up in a family where the union was important: His father, Bill, spent 23 years on the job represent-ed by Local 757. His brother, Jeff, is on the union’s Executive Board and is married to Local 757 legal assistant Catharine Alexander.

“We need to engage and educate those among us that didn’t learn union values growing up or in prior work experiences,” Hunt told the Labor Press.

Union values like solidarity and brother- and sisterhood are more important than ever, Hunt said, as global corporations try to drive down wages, benefits and working conditions.

“We need to share [union values] with our newest members so that they can understand the sacrifices that have gone into obtaining the wages and benefits we currently enjoy, but could lose at any time.”

Members returned incumbents to Local 757’s two other full-time elected positions. Vice President Sam Schwarz won re-election 1,573 to 677, defeating Steve Voigt. And Financial Secretary-Treasurer/Recording Secretary Evette D. Farra ran unopposed.

Members also elected stewards, bargaining unit chairs and liaison officers, and 14 members of the union Executive Board. Elected to the Executive Board were: Roy Jennings (C-TRAN); Anna Tompte (First Student Services); Brian C. Pasquali (Lane Transit District); Terry Howard (Portland Public Schools); Ken Richins (Salem Area Mass Transit District); Chad Mather (TriMet Center Maintenance); Sandra L. Guengerich (TriMet Center Transportation); Michael T. Oliver (TriMet Light Rail Transportation); Joe E. Ruffin III (TriMet Light Rail Maintenance); Jeffrey Ackerson (TriMet Merlo Transportation); Jeff Hunt (TriMet Merlo Maintenance); Bruce Duncan (TriMet Monthly Rated Employees; Khris Alexander (TriMet Powell Transportation); David R. Kay (TriMet Powell Maintenance).


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