Local 8751 files Class Action Grievance to Correct Transdev’s Tainted Annual Route Bid

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Nature of Grievance:

Despite weeks of discussion by the parties, good and complete direction by USW Local 8751 leadership to inexperienced Veolia / Transdev and BPS managers about how a proper bid could have been accomplished, and a one-month delay in order to properly prepare during deadly pandemic conditions, the company’s 2020 Annual Route Bid was the most tainted and most wracked with contractual violations in the 46 year history of BPS annual route bids, which resulted in fake, wildly inaccurate, unjustifiable and unsafe routes, squandered opportunities to provide the safest transportation possible to Boston’s parents, children and communities, and massive financial losses to drivers who are working in good faith under harsh and inhuman conditions and at extreme danger to our and our families’ health and lives.

1. Transdev and its client agents at BPS failed to timely pre-meet with the Union in advance, rushing and cramming pre-bid meetings into the days and minutes prior to the commencement of the Bid, providing no time for Union and drivers’ route review, correction, etc.
2. Transdev failed to provide the Union and drivers timely, complete and correct Bid information and documents.
3. Transdev failed to provide flat rates that meet the minimum requirements and brazenly posted flat rates and route packages that violate the CBA’s requirements, resulting in massive financial losses to hundreds of drivers. Transdev and its agents at BPS have outrageously taken advantage of the worst health crisis the world has experienced in over 100 years to radically slash their budgets on the backs of drivers and their families, turning full-time jobs into unlivable part time gigs that take all day to properly and timely perform, a cruel and unconscionable attack on our essential, frontline workforce who rightly should be earning extra hazard pay for their commitment to the communities we serve.
4. Transdev failed to post correct effective dates on the route packages, some weeks and months wildly off, causing not only continuing mass confusion in the operation but also seniority violations and financial losses to hundreds of drivers who were given false, misleading information by Transdev management in-person at the Bid, especially during the first two days and continuing throughout.
5. Transdev and its client agents at BPS falsely told the Union and all drivers at the bid that an adult monitor to attend to the children would be assigned to each bus. The company’s abject false pretense prior to and at the Bid and daily failures since to provide a monitor to each bus has placed the health & safety of hundreds of drivers, children, their families and communities at great jeopardy.
6. Transdev failed to provide pandemic dress rehearsal for drivers and monitors, as per the ESOP, nor any COVID-19 training at the Annual Route Bid nor at any previous or subsequent time. Transdev also failed to provide adequate Dry Run time in its dangerous rush.
7. Transdev failed to provide an Orientation Meeting to drivers, as mandated by the CBA, nor any information whatsoever about pandemic working conditions, embodied in the Emergency COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (ESOP) agreements.
8. Transdev failed to include COVID-19 pre-trip preparation time for required health & safety protocols and extra time & attention to bus inspection in flat rates at the Bid.
9. Transdev has failed to correct false, shorted flat rates and route problems realized in the light of daily operations since October 1, forcing drivers to attempt to get paid for every minute of work time in an environment of its failed and purposefully opaque and conflictual payroll accountability and resulting in some children not getting transported to this day.
10. Transdev has failed to post a “master list” and to schedule a clean-up second bid, per the CBA.

Settlement Requested:

1. To immediately make drivers whole for all losses, including but not limited to lost wages, benefits, bonuses, etc.
2. To immediately correct all route flat rates, per the CBA and operational experience.
3. To immediately provide a monitor attendant for every trip/bus route.
4. To immediately provide time to the CBA’s pre-trip inspection requirements before the Versatrans / Transdev time to leave the yard for COVID-19 protocols requirements.
5. To immediately schedule a full bid to clean up the violations of the Annual Route Bid.

Agreement Violation:

Articles 5, 7. 8. 10, 12, 13, 17, 26, 27, the contract, DESE guidelines, BPS agreements with the Union and communities, etc.