Six months after orchestrating ratification of a three-year contract with the Utah Transit Authority, the union leader representing just over half of all rank-and-file UTA workers called formally for the resignation of Manager John Pingree.

"What I'm looking for is a capable manager with a little more humanistic touch," said Steve Booth, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 382. "When you've got somebody whose eye is on the bottom line, they're not a people person and that's the problem.""We have employees who don't feel appreciated," said Booth on Monday as he followed in the footsteps of Salt Lake County Commissioner Randy Horiuchi, who on Friday demanded Pingree resign.

The union doesn't appear ready to go on strike over the issue, however.

And neither Horiuchi nor the union have any direct say in Pingree's fate - UTA's manager serves at the pleasure of the agency's board.

But Pingree opponents, sensing an opportunity to depose the manager because of a move by some board members to oust him, have gone public in recent days with their complaints. The board will meet on Wednesday to consider a resolution by member Dan Berman calling for Pingree's firing.Pingree, who has been at UTA's helm for 19 years, has come under fire in part because of a political rift between Salt Lake County and Salt Lake City.

Each government claims the right to appoint the representative that will fill a current vacancy on the board, which is split on the question of whether Pingree should stay. Pingree, according to critics, has inappropriately taken the side of Salt Lake City.

Complicating that issue are UTA's plans this spring to break ground on a light-rail line between Sandy and downtown Salt Lake City. Backers want Pingree to stay in charge because light rail is his brainchild. Opponents want him gone for the same reason.

Labor has further muddied the waters by jumping on the oust-Pingree bandwagon and raising a number of allegations.

Booth said UTA employees have been mistreated by Pingree's administration. He cited instances of urinary-tract infections among bus drivers because they are not allowed to take bathroom breaks. Booth said Pingree has been insensitive to security issues raised by drivers and that UTA supervisors have entered the homes of sick-leave employees to see if they really were ill. He added that employee morale is poor under Pin-gree's direction.

UTA administrators denied the accusations.

"This can't be good for morale," responded board chairman James Clark in a follow-up press con-fer-ence.

"Frankly, I am absolutely astounded that these issues are coming forth now," said Clark, noting that 70 percent of union members in April endorsed a contract that currently pays hourly wages of $12.68 to drivers and $15.12 to mechanics.

UTA spokesman Bill Barnes said the concerns raised by Booth on Monday came as news to administrators.

"They just went through this contract negotiation without bringing up any of these issues," said Barnes. He said the contract was approved unanimously by union leaders and by UTA board mem-bers.

Booth said seven of 14 directors have responded to his request that they listen to his concerns about Pingree, though he stopped short of saying all seven of those support the manager's ouster.

Another indication that the union doesn't have the sympathy of a majority of board members: "I can tell you that only seven will talk to me," said Booth.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Wage rates

Terms of UTA contract ratified April 1996

DATE EFFECTIVE

Dec. 17, 1996 Jan. 12, 1997 Jan. 11, 1998

Bus driver $12.68 $13.08 $13.48

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Parts courier $11.88 $12.28 $12.68

Mechanic $15.12 $15.52 $15.92

Janitor $11.42 $11.82 $12.22

Bus cleaner $10.73 $11.13 $11.53

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