Pin It  Lifting up Liftline   In recent years, Rochester's
Liftline service has gotten a black eye in the media and the
court of public opinion, usually for reasons beyond the hard-
working employees. Whatever the negative press, Liftline is
truly one of Rochester's hidden gems --- a gem that with some
polishing could shine brightly.                    Contributing
to the seemingly never-ending trials and tribulations at
Liftline is that approximately 60 drivers have been working
without a contract since April 1, 2002. Twenty-six arbitrations
later, management's paltry proposed wage increase of 1.75
percent per year amounts to about a $9 a week raise, before
taxes, for the highest paid driver --- hardly a princely sum,
given all that Liftline drivers are expected to do everyday.
 As much as money is a concern, the drivers at Liftline have
other quality-of-work issues that, if addressed, could
contribute to making Liftline the gem in the crown of
Rochester's Regional Transit Service.  Time is