To All My Brothers and Sisters of Pioneer:

        It is imperative that every member of Pioneer please make a conscious effort to be at the garage on Thursday morning. I will be there from 5:AM to 10:AM. I need to explain just where and how the Negotiations are going and where we are headed. I want every member to have a clear understanding of what has transpired to date. 
        Whatever road we are to take I take it along with you all. I completely understand we all have our personal errands or need to be somewhere else at that time. However, it is your responsibility to know exactly what is going on. Please I urge all you to attend.

        I will not hold a forum on Facebook or any social media. Please do not ask questions here.Have your questions ready for Thursday.Allow me to finish my explanation of the negotiations and I will be glad to take any questions.

Your 1181 Delegate
Ernie

https://www.facebook.com/anthony.lobosco1/videos/10216741788125205/     

        I just wanted to take moment to reflect on how lovely this time of year generally is , whether or not you celebrate Christmas, getting festive and in the holiday spirit is always fun. Christmas gives us the opportunity to pause and reflect on the important things around us, a time when we can look back on the year that has passed and prepare for the year ahead.
        Some have had a rough year while others may have had it easier. But none the less we all go through our own troubles and worries. However during this holiday season we should be grateful to those who have made our progress possible.
         I would like to give thanks and praise to our re-elected Slate which I am sure they will continue to fight for all of 1181.
        And staying in this spirit I wish you and your family the gift of faith, the blessing of hope, and the peace of God's love at Christmas and always.
My Best Always
Ernie

This is straight from Michael


http://atu1181.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/EPP-UPDATE-12-07.pdf

(Edited to give a direct link)

To all members

        There is a mass text going around to all members .The message is not to sign the EPP. Please I cannot express strong enough what this will do to OUR futures.
The EPP is for all the members who lost so much..It benefits all bus drivers and attendants throughout the industry. Please I urge you all do not listen to this or any remarks against the EPP .The EPP does NOT have a favored Slate. It does not support any one particular Slate. It is for OUR future. For everyone of us. NOT just for one slate. This is important to understand and know you will only hurt yourselves in thinking you are doing right not to sign.
Set aside your personal feelings for any slate .this is more important than the election itself
Don't be blinded by jealousy and hate .Our future depends on it.
Anyone can call the office of the Gov,or the office of the Assemblyman this is no way it could be twisted to a lie.
Be strong and do not allow false lies to destroy your future.

Ernie

This is in regards to the phone calls I have received from of our members on this website concerning talk of the increase in medical in the last year of our contract.

First let me assure you that the jaw dropping numbers that some of you are putting out there are outrageous. When we started out at the beginning of our ratification our medical fund was in fact in dire straits at .3 (point 3) Moving forward from that point to now, at the last General Membership meeting Michael gave an update of the percentage of where we are now, which is 3.24.To clear up some rumors of how much we would be paying is pretty hard to estimate without the actuaries doing their audit. Now that being said, our contract reads: " in the last year of our contract, the companies will pay the first $3.00 increase and we would split anything after the $3.00 "

            EXAMPLE: if the actuary said the increase would cost us $6.00 it would only cost us $1.50.

Also understand we could never get the increase that people are putting out there in such enormous numbers. Our increases have never exceeded more than $5.00 dollar increments. The only increase that has ever exceeded the $5.00 dollar number has been paid by the contractors according to the agreement of our contract .By which they received help from the city placing our medical back to speed within the first two years. Again it has not cost us any additional money as of yet. At the rate we are going now there is a possibility that as long as the fund continues to grow we may not have to pay any increase. So please don't panic and stop listening to false rumors. If ever there were questions go to Andrew and he will get you the correct answers. Just as Andrew mentioned yesterday, if it weren't for your experienced EB working diligently the medical would have been exhausted by now. So continue to support your EB and our future.

Thank you
Ernie

To all my brothers and sisters in Pioneer.

I would like to take this time to explain about my situation at hand before people start to second guess and wonder what's happening.

As everyone knows I was given the opportunity to become part of the Executive Board and I was more than ready to take on any task put before me. I was ready to begin another chapter in my life. However there are times in some people's life that are more important than any position in employment. Some events arise and take center stage, for me, my family is the most important thing in my life. It always will be, and it trumps anything that could arise. At this time, it is the utmost importance to dedicate my full attention to my family. So for now, I am going to step aside and return to Pioneer in the capacity as a bus driver. Andy remains as the Shop Steward and rightfully so, because It would be breaking the rules and laws of the Department of Labor (DOL) for me to return as Shop Steward.

I have no problem getting back on a bus again as I never did before. So when you see me leaving the yard in a big yellow bus there is no reason to wonder why. I am and always will be the same man I was, just not in the position I was before. I would also appreciate that you follow the guidance of Andrew Cappa as the remaining Shop Steward.
In closing I would like to thank everyone who gave their support and show my appreciation to all my brothers and sisters.

Thank you, respectfully
Ernie

To All My Brothers and Sisters in Pioneer.

          At some point in our careers, all workers consider having a promotion acknowledging their effort and efficiency at work. When workers learn the good news that they will be promoted to a new and exciting position within a company, they feel a mixture of emotion, satisfaction and pride.  I wish to express the pride and excitement I feel this day as I move to a new chapter in my life in this industry.

          I gratefully and humbly accept this new challenge and promise to all my Brothers and Sisters of Pioneer I will not let you down but will always be there to support and defend or to just hear your concerns of any issues or problems you have.

          I feel my effort in these last 10 years of being your Shop Stewart has had positive and satisfactory results for all the members of Pioneer I did my best to represent each and every one of you the best I could. Your worries and concerns were my worries and concerns. My promise to you all then and is now is that I will do my best to continue to represent each of you with professionalism and consideration as the hard workers you all are.

           Over the years I have developed a professional relationship with many of the hard workers in Pioneer and have over time became good friends with many of you. I have shared laughs and shared sighs with many of my co workers, in good times and bad. My hope is to remain friends with you all and will do my best to keep you all updated with issues of 1181, as always your voices need to be heard. My hopes and wishes now are to be a positive Delegate to make you all proud to be 1181.I am confident in my ability not to let any of you down and strive to work harder for you all.

        I ask you all to give your new Shop Steward Andy  the courtesy and respect you all have given to me over the years. He is good at what he does and will strive to do the right thing by each and every one of you.
And in closing, just so you all know. I will not be that far away. I will be the Delegate for Staten Island, so I am only a phone call away.

Before I move on to my next journey as Delegate of 1181 I will see you all at the safety classes.

Thank you always
Ernie

        I hear everyone speaking and asking questions of the contract. The reason I don't come on this site very often is because of the nonsensical and baby bullshit people talk about. You all see me in the driver's room and I am not unapproachable. I will not defend my status of Shop Steward on this site or anywhere. I hear lots of talk of not having the same contract with all the other contractors. Let me put that to rest for you. At the end of this new 3 year term our goal is that everyone concerned in every company will have the same contract.
        You know its easy being a Monday night quarter back on a Tuesday. Now with that said, I will say this to all my pioneer family. When we started negotiations we have always asked for everything back we lost. Being logical, you never get back 100 % of your *give backs*.However, when dealing with contracts in any industry whether it is busing. Police, Firemen or whatever there has always been *give backs*.
        Now in my words. We sat down with the whole pie and after approximately 19 sessions going after the 2 biggest companies in the industry that are still bound by the EPP due to the extension they were given by the BOE. I feel we are getting back approximately ¾  of that pie. Now, this is my feeling and not in concrete.
        So until the MOA is signed by all parties I will not explain the meat of the contract until it is approved. I just wish to reiterate there are a lot of people claiming to know everything known in this new contract and there are rumors spreading wild. In good conscience instead of grasping for rumors let us all wait till it is in our hands and then we can see for ourselves. I'm sorry for this delay, but after the company and the union agreed on the terms of the contract. There were some language changes that were inputted without approval of the union. So hence back to the drawing board to secure the proper contract agreed by both parties. That is what the holdup is all about.

        I am at Pioneer everyday and if you don't see me in the driver's room you all know where my office is. Please feel free to come and speak to me with any questions you have. Hopefully I have set some minds at ease due to the lack of information received in the past.

Ernie

        I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year. While leaving the old year and stepping into the new year we remember that we have been through some trying times in the past. But I want you all to remember that I have always said UNITY brings STRENGTH and we will conquer whatever comes our way in this fresh new year.My warmest wish for happiness and prosperity remains the same for you and your families.

Happy New Year

Ernie

To all my Brothers and Sisters in Pioneer.
        I have shown much restraint due to the fact that I believed he (Neil) would come to the table and bargain in good faith. Our first couple of sessions we actually went nowhere and then I believed it was going well with a resolve in sight. The owners of Pioneer and Consolidated said *we would sit till midnight if need be to resolve the contract*  As far as our last meeting everything stayed still with no show of moving along at all. I asked *what is the reason for not moving forward and why are we wasting our time?* the answer was none. The owners believe we are not unified  and will fall apart, we proved to them in Consolidated in taking a strike vote and the strike vote was overwhelmingly in our favor being 896 to 42.This is a very big weapon in our hands for bargaining.
        It is now time to show the owner of Pioneer Transportation that unity in numbers will make us prevail. The belief in the owners is that we are not strong enough to take them to task. We have given him everything he has asked for, and especially the fact of him telling us he needed the *give back* to help him to be competitive in the bid war. Well needless to say the bids were tossed and there was no reason for any of the *EPP Companies* to bid. Now all the owners do is cry they don't have any money.
The time has come to show him we will not put up with any nonsense any more. When I questioned him about the day he came out to our strike line and he referred to us all as family, and that it was necessary for the cuts so he can become a competitive bidder. He said he NEVER said it. Said it was not true.
Barry posted one of the letters on his site proving that he indeed did say it. So please let's be united and vote tomorrow for our strike vote to ensure we have the ammo needed to bring to the Mayor's office and the Department of Education, showing that we mean business!
I know most feel out of the loop so to speak because nothing has been put out there to let you all know what is going on. The truth is nothing has been moving, so sometimes there is nothing to report. But I do try my best to inform each and every one of you, whether it is here on FB or I tell Barry to post it to his site. Also I am always available at Pioneer.
One more thing: Members, please know that we have all dealt with disappointment in the past. BUT the one thing we do not need at this time is NEGATATIVETY and bashing remarks against the Union. That won't show Unity. It only shows the Owner is right and we are WRONG!!

I will see you all at the polls tomorrow morning
Ernie

All Attendants:  MUST report back to the Arthur Kill Yard on Monday after your morning run.
To the Attendants who have no runs and are not working you MUST contact me at Pioneer.

Due to summer work we have received 38 Special Ed Summer runs and they MUST be covered. Please note whoever is asked to work there is a ONE time only opportunity from the Number One down to pass.

If we can't cover the runs we will go from the bottom up and people will be forced to work. Whoever refuses at that point will not be eligible for Unemployment insurance for the summer. The reason is because work must be covered and you cannot refuse work.

Pioneer has received a total of 57 summer runs, and we are trying to have our pick on Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday of next week. I will post the time when the runs are complete.

Thank you
Ernie

To all my brothers and sisters at Pioneer:

        As I told you all from the beginning we have to believe and stand strong and have faith and at the end we will prevail. Well the day has come, we did prevail and we have 3 more years of work with the DOE extension which includes the EPP.Neil has won his battle with the BOE ,it is now our turn to negotiate new terms and conditions with Neil to get back what we lost. So please remember as 1 we cannot fail. If we are not joined together we lose. September is right around the corner and we must be ready willing and able to do whatever is necessary to win our fight.

        I am looking for people who are interested in working for the summer. There will be a sign in sheet in the driver's room. And I will also be in touch with the President of our Union to begin handing out proposal sheets for the members of Pioneer.
One Union No Divide.

Respectfully yours
Ernie

To all my Pioneer Brothers and Sisters ,

        I know you all have followed me and stood beside me throughout the strike. We all walked in the cold and freezing weather. I watched as all my brothers and sisters began to unite and started acting like the union of the past. *ONE UNION ONE VOICE*.  As you all know I have fought for all the members of 1181 and especially the members of Staten Island Pioneer which is my home yard. I have fought hard and diligently to bring the best information back to all. To ensure all were well informed of the goings on throughout the strike.
        At this time it is important to try and regain some of what we lost in the past. We are on a great road to recovery. It took time but that was to no fault of one particular person except Bloomberg. Our union officials have been and still fight daily with city and government officials. And finally gaining some ground with political parties backing Micheal Cordiello.
        I urge everyone to think hard and vote consciously, and try to bury the anger for past mistakes. I say this with all due respect to both Slates campaigning .Do not Allow anger for past mistakes guide you to the wrong decision on who you should vote for.
        It is in my best opinion to follow the most experienced for the job. I believe to ensure MY future and longevity in this industry I vote Cordiello all the way. YOU must vote for what you believe in.

Respectfully Your Shop Steward
Ernie

        We are getting close to our election and as usual there are many uneducated people running against our current board. 
It is most important for everyone to know in spite of some of the past judgment calls of the union that may not have been acceptable to all our members  you must all understand what we are up against. Our current president and executive board has battled to right the wrong that was imposed on us from the last mayor. We took a hard  hit.
        There will be many people who are going to try and fill the shoes of Michael Cordiello at our next election. It is imperative that we all understand the ramifications of what the results of removing our president and current executive board would be. In my opinion it will become our demise and things as we know it now will be gone. I have been a dedicated member of 1181 since 1979 and I have seen our administration change from good to bad and back to good. But we all must understand that the Cordiello slate right now is the *best* one in town. So make no mistake, we must stay strong and stand united to become the union we were before. Vote Cordiello Slate all the way.
        Do not listen to the empty promises of the opposing slates. There are rumors of wage increase, pension increases and reductions of the salaries of the executive board. ALL nonsense and empty promises .We know what we got. We DON'T know what we'll get. We do KNOW we will become a storefront union if we lost the current administration and that's being hopeful if our union is still in existence
        And just my opinion that some of the people on the opposing slates are not as smart as the rocks in my garden .So it is safe for me to say that I don't want them leading me into the future which would become not a future but our demise. Make no mistake in spite of all the rumors  that are being spread throughout Pioneer and the rest of the industry I am 100 Percent behind the Cordiello Slate. And so should all my co-workers and friends from other companies. CORDIELLO SLATE all the way.

Respectfully 
Ernie

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/42338489?fb_action_ids=247597532075685&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=[458508507583052]&action_type_map=[%22og.likes%22]&action_ref_map=[]

To all Drivers, Matrons and Mechanics of Pioneer:
        I want to take a moment during the busy holiday rush to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for displaying nothing but the utmost professionalism in this trying time. I know this last year has been a trying time for us all and it seemed as though we were fading in a puddle of mud. Trust me, it will get better. We just have to be patient with the legal system. And we must remain in good character and display nothing but the professionals that we are.
        As you and I well know there are rumors flying with no merit. As I read the posts on the Facebook site and Buzz's site I really cannot believe some of the bullshit I am reading. I promise to keep everyone apprised of whatever information I receive. And as I say always, please do not listen to rumors. I will try to relay every message I can to all of our pioneer family.
        Let's take this break time to relax, and enjoy our families. And remember when we return that we are and always be 1181 Proud.

Always Ernie & Andy

        Tomorrow starting 6 am till noon time there will be a vote on our contract. Let me once again make this clear. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and that is the reason why there is a secret ballot vote. In all fairness to everyone concerned I am asking all our members to let your ballot speak. We know this contract is not completely fair to everyone, and yes some of the terms of the agreement may not suit all of us. But let us remember everyone has a different pocket and I think I can safely say with all respect there are many of us who live week to week. I do not frown on anyone who has a pension. We all had the same opportunity to have the same career path as some of our retiree's.
         As I explained in previous posts it is up to our membership as individuals to vote on this contract. It is not up to me or the union. With the way the economy is and the companies folding around us life as we knew it is gone. I will reiterate a YES vote is to accept and a NO vote is absolutely a STRIKE vote. It is NOT a re -opening for another negotiation .I would love to turn back the hand of time however we cannot live in the past .We can thank Mayor Bloomberg for the situation we are in now. Because of him we have fallen into an economic demise. We are trying to stay hopeful that the new mayor coming in will open the dialog to better our future contract talks. The contract we vote on tomorrow is only good for 18 months.
So, once again, let your SECRET ballot speak.
Respectfully Ernie

To all Drivers and Attendants

        Andy and I sat in the yard till 5:30 pm to give out all contracts to all our drivers and attendants of pioneer. We will continue giving them out till there are none left, hopefully by tomorrow. On Thursday there will be a Ballot vote, starting at 6 am till noon At that time the union delegate and members of pioneer will then count the votes. We will then determine the outcome of the vote. All matrons and drivers must pick their own copies of contract and signed by said person. There are NO substitutes. Also there is no vote by proxy. Hopefully when everyone sits and reads their copy of the contract they can come to a better understanding and reach a decision on how to vote that suits them. In my opinion it may not be the best contract that we have ever gotten but it is the best in this industry as of yet. Read it well and thoroughly and I am sure we will prevail.

Thank you for your patience
Ernie

The union myself and Andy have been working very hard to try and make this contract complete so that we can move on with our lives. We respect and consider everyone's opinion, In spite of what most people think and use the excuse that I am intimating to them. Please let me explain that under no uncertain terms is that my intent. I make speak loud and I may yell due to being a high stung person. Also I am a hands on individual and I could see how some would say I am intimating. However I do try to get the job done. .I am proud to know that I have a much further reach into our organization than most other shop stewards. And this is due to the amount of years and experience and knowledge I have learned from our past president.
        We constantly hear how the union doesn't give us any info and how the union is screwing us. With all fairness where do you think we get our Info from? We would not be where we are today and have what we have if it were not for the President Vice President and executive board. They have been working very hard to resolve the issues that were imposed on us and with great success they have completed our contract which is the best given to any company in our industry. As I have always told you we will prevail.
Here are some of the answers to questions I have seen:
        In regards to our vote, it will be a ballad vote. Our members will get to voice their choice whether being yes you except or No you decline. A NO vote will absolutely reflect to the owner that we are ready to strike. That being said, some people believe that will bring us back to the table. That is absolutely not true. We then subject ourselves to another imposed contract. And there will be no way that we can prove to a federal judge that the owner has not bargained in good faith. Since we returned to work in Feb with nothing.* 71/2 % reduction in pay, no holidays, no Christmas no Easter, no additional days for working holidays and no overtime in addition to no vacation pay*. Across the board we had nothing and now we are coming back and going from zero to 80 of what we lost. And I am listening to people argue with Andy and some of our other coworkers that we should not sign our contract till we get our money. Let me remind you the NLRB ruled in our FAVOR and deemed that the imposed contract was ILLEGAL. At no time did they give a definitive date on when we should get our money. Everyone knows the way our legal system works. The owners could have tied us up in court for the next few years due to the appeal process. So, please remember he does not have to pay us in the timely fashion that everyone is led to believe due to the court's ruling. And YES his contract is whole till 2015.If he makes ten Billion dollars a year there will never be a ruling by any judge that will tell him he has to share his money with us
        As far as the pick is concerned even though I did not have a signed contract in my hand I was confident that it would be followed and completed with everything that the union, contractor and I had discussed. Ensuring that there would be no hidden clause added. Just to remind you all our pick is very intricate and takes numerous days of work to arrange our people to be there to pick, in changing trips, shares shuttles and whatever other programs we have going on a daily basis.
        I hope this clears some things up from our brothers and sisters of pioneer. And I whole heartily thank everyone for their time, patience and support. Please have faith and knowing the information that was given we will put this behind us and move forward like the professionals that we all are.
Thank you and have a safe and happy weekend.
Respectfully Ernie