CSEA Blog: Exposing Bus Companies for Cheating Hartford Workers and Taxpayers

[Omaha Steve]

Two weeks ago our Union called out school bus contractors in Hartford
for subverting the city's living wage law and avoiding local property
taxes. Last week the news media revealed how the two bus companies
with the worst safety records in Connecticut have shuffled equipment
and relocated drivers to evade paying their fair share to city
residents and their workforce.

This week's Hartford Advocate features a lengthy article on the scheme
hatched under former Mayor Eddie Perez to let subcontractors manage
suburban and special education students' bus transportation without
city or school district oversight. Under the deceptive deal, Autumn
and Specialty Transportation, Inc. moved their school buses out of
Hartford last month to avoid paying their drivers living wages.

The article features the comments of two of our Union's Council 760
members who are school bus monitors employed by Logisticare Solutions,
Inc. which subcontracts some of its transportation services to Autumn
and Specialty. Chapter I109 President Patricia Gaskin and member Kim
Bell illustrate the value of our struggle over the past decade to hold
all of Hartford's school district contractors accountable under the
city's living wage law.

Our Union was already concerned about the poor labor and safety
records of Autumn and Specialty, which are two of five companies
contracted or subcontracted to Hartford Public Schools. Most of their
employees do not have access to a voice on the job, unlike their
counterparts in our Union's Chapter I96, which represents drivers
employed by Dattco, or bus monitors like Pat and Kim, who work
directly for Logisticare.

Then last December, Logisticare quietly entered into an agreement with
the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) that was orchestrated by
Perez and Hartford Corporation Counsel John Rose. Under the deal, CREC
took over management of bus services for suburban students who attend
the nine Hartford Host Magnet Schools.

But the regional education service provider was merely turning that
responsibility over to the primary contractor -- after taking their
administrative fees. Logisticare in turn handed the operations to
Autumn and Specialty, which the Hartford Courant exposed earlier this
year as the bus companies with the worst safety records in
Connecticut.

Seven months later, they informed their bus drivers they would be
relocated to East Hartford -- and that their wages would be reduced by
more than two dollars an hour.

When we brought the scheme to the attention of the Hartford City
Council, President rJo Winch called for a sweeping investigation of
all the companies involved. We are mobilizing our members and the
drivers without a union voice to help officials uncover any violations
of the city's living wage ordinance, evasion of business property
taxes, or failures to comply with safety standards for students.

The Council's Labor and Workforce Development Committee is set to
begin a review at its next meeting on Wednesday, September 15.

We are circulating a leaflet with details to raise awareness and build
turn-out for this important meeting. City Council members need to hear
firsthand from bus drivers and monitors employed by city and CREC
contractors and subcontractors -- and from community advocates who
have stood with our Union in the fight for a living wage in Hartford.

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