Guest Blogger: Use Safeline

Guest blog by Adrian Hender 

The CTA is fond of saying, “Safety is our number one priority,” but employees know this is far from what is experienced at the ground level.

Defective equipment is routinely overlooked by management, switch workers, supervisors, and operators for the sake of maintaining the status quo.

But who does the status quo serve? 

As workers, we deserve to be issued functional equipment that allows us to perform our jobs safely. When defective equipment contributes to mistakes, management is quick to point out that the defect was “never reported.”

For operators, this falls under the category of “preparing our train for service,” where we are expected to catch every defect, every time. The buck eventually stops here.

But operators know that reporting defects to a supervisor can often be a dead end. Supervisors are under pressure to maintain service intervals despite limited manpower and half-functioning equipment. In an effort to avoid creating bad blood, defects go unreported. Safety is de-prioritized again and again.

SafeLine is an incredible tool for addressing safety concerns anonymously. I recommend creating a separate email address used exclusively for submitting reports. When you email SafeLine@transitchicago.com, you can easily reference your previous reports. You may find that many go unaddressed and require follow-ups.

The point is to create a paper trail and anticipate the possibility of discipline. If defective equipment causes you to make a mistake, you will be able to show that management was aware of the defect and allowed it to persist.

“Report to Manager” forms can also be useful, but many seem to disappear behind the administrative counter. Email is often the stronger option because it is time-stamped and allows for follow-ups. If you must fill out a Report to Manager form, make sure you receive your own copy.

Report. Report. Report.

Report radios that randomly shut off. Report missing windshield wipers. Report dark headlights. Report broken CTA cell phones.

Workers deserve functional equipment so we can perform our jobs safely.

The opinions expressed by guest bloggers here or in Shop Talk newsletter are not necessarily the opinion or sanctioned policies and actions by Brother Eric Curtis Muhammad Basir, ATU Local 308 members, elected leadership or stewards. In the spirit of the First Amendment and the ATU Obligation, all CTA workers and supporters are welcome to submit content of any point-of-view for this blog. Real identities will be hidden upon request.