Three Unit Shop employees receive 40-year service awards
On June 20, the team at District Shops took part in a unique celebration, honoring more than 120 total years of service with RTD by three Unit Shop colleagues: Mark Deay-Reusch, Mitch Decent and Harry Riddle.
Each of the three achieved 40 years of continuous service in May, and they were honored last week with a luncheon, certificate and pin commemorating this significant milestone.
Deay-Reusch, a certified technician specializing in transmission rebuilds, started his career in running repair, where he became familiar with bus air-conditioning systems, engines, air systems and transmissions. He carried that experience with him when he transferred to the Unit Shop, where over the years he has rebuilt components from all those systems.
Deay-Reusch says he knew his career path in high school. During RTD’s earliest years, he could see the improvements and benefits the agency brought to the Denver metro region, and he wanted to be part of it.
“I rode the bus when I was a teenager, and I noticed a new sign on the bus that said ‘RTD’ – and the service was reliable,” Deay-Reusch recalled. “I was amazed what a new company could do when they took over.”
Deay-Reusch remembers watching District Shops being built. While working in running repair, he was trained to drive and tow buses and obtained a class A license. He and his teammates have taken first place in 11 RTD Roadeos and represented the agency on 11 international Roadeo teams.
“I don’t see any job out there for what we do that is better than RTD,” Deay-Reusch said.
Deay-Reusch also attended factory training centers at Detroit Diesel Corp., which introduced a new engine for RTD, and ZF International, where he rebuilt an RTD transmission with that company’s team. “I went out there to learn from them, and we shared so much between ourselves, I think I and their service center came out with an equal amount of training,” he said.
Three words that describe Deay-Reusch, according to his colleagues: “Coffee is ready.” He prepares the morning coffee for District Shops, ensuring it is hot and fresh when everyone arrives to work. The price per day remains the same today as it was when he first started making it decades ago: 25 cents.
Technician Mitch Decent was hired into the central warehouse in 1984 and began taking maintenance training classes while working in Service and Cleaning. He transferred to become a general repair mechanic and became certified; bid to enter tech support and became certified as a project technician; and bid to join the Unit Shop, certified there, too.
Decent’s colleagues say he is detailed, studious and carries tremendous integrity. He served as an ATU shop steward for 15 years and worked briefly in labor relations. Decent enjoys working for RTD, he said, because of the public service the agency provides. Among his major achievements, he notes being a Michigan Scholars recipient, earning an associate’s degree from Front Range Community College and holding certifications in three maintenance areas with RTD.
“I give credit to the union for my being here for 40 years,” Decent said.
Over the past 40 years with RTD, equipment maintenance supervisor Harry Riddle has served for 20 years as a mechanic and 20 years as a maintenance supervisor, 10 at East Metro and 10 at District Shops, where he oversees the Unit Shop. His team describes him as understanding, patient and reliable.
A fascinating fact about Riddle: He is the only current RTD employee who has worked for Denver Tramway Company, Denver Metro Transit and RTD. Riddle was employed by Denver Tramway and Denver Metro Transit for seven years earlier in his career, left for nine years and then joined RTD – so he carries 47 years of combined service. Riddle says he enjoys the challenge and the employees he works with. He enjoys cross training technicians in the Unit Shop and stocking parts in the central warehouse and outlying divisions.
While change has been a constant, the work environment itself has remained consistent, Riddle said.
“It’s a pleasure to work here,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed coming into work every day.”
All three men are proud of their service to RTD and its customers.
“Anybody interested in the history of RTD, stop by the Unit Shop, bring your coffee cup and sit for a spell,” said Maintenance Operating Division Manager Orlo Petersen. “We have 120 years and more worth of stories to share. You never know: You might even get to help clean a part or two while you’re here.”