New London School Bus Drivers Appeal to Board Of Education to Urge Their Contractor to "Play By The

[Omaha Steve]

For Immediate Release: May 14, 2010


NEW LONDON SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS APPEAL TO BOARD OF EDUCATION TO URGE
THEIR CONTRACTOR TO "PLAY BY THE RULES"
School bus workers' union members shared concerns stemming from
unresolved contract negotiations with the district's transportation
services company at Thursday's school board meeting

NEW LONDON—Out of concern for New London Public Schools' students and
their families, bus drivers and monitors are appealing to district
officials to help resolve a long-running dispute with their employer.
Members of CSEA/SEIU Local 2001 employed by Student Transportation of
America (STA), the district's school bus services contractor, attended
last night's meeting of the Board of Education and made their case for
local elected officials to take notice and get involved.

"The bottom line is that we want the best transportation for our
community's kids, just like you do," Maria Rodriguez, a bus driver
with 10 years of service in the district, told officials. "We urge you
to tell STA to 'play by the rules.' Tell them it's time to negotiate a
fair contract with New London's school bus drivers and monitors,"
Rodriguez, a member of the CSEA/SEIU Local 2001 chapter representing
the company's student transportation employees, said.

Rodriguez' comments refer to a nearly yearlong dispute with New Jersey-
based STA, which the Board of Education contracted in June of 2009 to
administer student transportation services for the district. When the
company refused to recognize the Union that has represented New
London's school bus employees since 1998, CSEA/SEIU filed charges with
the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which then issued a
complaint against STA.

The company capitulated the same day hearings were scheduled before an
administrative law judge and entered into an agreement to begin
negotiations with the district's drivers and monitors in January. The
NLRB continues to investigate multiple charges brought by the Union,
including STA's failure to negotiate in good faith.

"We believe parents and school officials want us to focus on safe,
reliable bus services for their kids, not a labor dispute with our
employer," said Sheri Burgess, who has worked as a school bus driver
for the district's contractors for 10 years.

After attempting to block Union members from raising the dispute
during public comment, Board President Alvin Kinsall implied that
school officials bore no responsibility for labor relations between
the companies they contract and their employees. In her remarks,
Rodriguez emphasized that she and her co-workers had made every effort
to reach a mutual settlement with STA and urged the school board to
get involved before they took more serious measures.

CSEA/SEIU Local 2001's 25,000 members are retired and active public
sector workers in state, municipal, and local schools' agencies across
Connecticut, as well as workers employed by non-profit organizations
and private companies contracted to provide public services. Visit
www.seiu2001.org online for more information about the union's efforts
to "Drive Up Standards" in the student transportation industry.

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Maria Rodriguez' Statement for Public Comment at May 13 New London
Board of Education Meeting:
bit.ly/bcHDMo

Web version of release:
http://bit.ly/cqNbkD