Thanks to one of our more diligent members I've learned that the failure to include our safety bonus in today's check was not an oversight, but purposely done. Supposedly the company says we won't get it until there's a contract.

The union says, "We'll see about that."

Stay tuned.

I noticed yesterday that an updated early dismissal sheet on the monitor did not state the date and some people were asking "When?".

Thursday, Nov. 2 is early dismissal for elementary schools. If you don't know your school's time you'll have to stand in front of the first monitor through the copious superfluous messages until you get to the one about early dismissal.

Has anybody done an actual school bus drill so far this year? State law says the first one is to be done during the first seven days of school ... which almost no school does. The second is supposed to be done between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31, and the third in the spring.

Not having had one at P.S. 4 I asked one of the aides about it. She said they had a "virtual" school bus drill earlier in the year. Is this the way it's done now? (I don't think anybody would complain.) Anybody?

I usually refrain from posting peoples' full names on here but at the request of Bob Hearn I am posting this list in case somebody didn't catch it in the 15 or 20 seconds tbat it appeared on a monitor today.



If you object to your name appearing here, please direct you complaint to Bob Hearn. 
That's
(Just breaking balls. Bob is concerned people will miss the message and not show up.)

Appearing on one of the monitors today ...






And remember ...

A couple of drivers mentioned recently that they got the Shingles vaccine and that our coverage was accepted. I remember some years ago being told that we were NOT covered for that vaccine.

I called Blue Cross/Shield (which is becoming Anthem instead of Empire) this morning and the representative told me it is covered in full, which is a good thing because the 2 doses (6 months apart I believe) costs $350 to $400!

Good idea to go for it. Shingles can be very painful, even debilitating.

A notice on one of the monitors said that OPT would no longer give us the courtesy of announcing a yard inspection.

All the more reason to COME BACK AFTER THE MORNING RUN to be inspected.

Every report I've heard blames this on brake failure. Wait ... the service brakes failed AND the parking brake ... i.e.: spring brakes ... failed too? I find that hard to believe, unless she came down a big hill and there was brake fade. Maybe she didn't pull  the button out.

Two or three Pioneer buses were dispatched to the former St. John Villa to transport migrants to the Roosevelt Hotel in the city after their p.m runs.

A few days ago migrants were removed from the former Hungerford school (and OTC before that) in Clifton due to asbestos being found during an inspection. So, wait ... for years and years that building was being used as a special ed school WITH asbestos?

Anyway, the reason for given for their removal from Villa was due to an FDNY inspection finding a lack of a sprinkler system and fire alarms. (I'm sure all the protests had nothing to do with the sudden inspection ... LOL.)

BTW, that building is now owned by the city and will become an elementary, junior high and high school ... completion expected around 2029. Yes, 2029! By comparison, the Empire State building was finished in 1 year, 45 days. smh

Here's the notice that was posted on a door at Villa ...

That's pretty much the question I posed to John Cleary on the phone a few minutes ago. He said there are a couple of things holding it up. One is the lawyers quibbling over some of the wording, but I guess that's a good thing ... means they're going over it with a fine-toothed comb.

The other thing is the union and city haggling over the matrons' pay, but John feels an agreement will be reached in the next day or two. With any luck, John is hopeful that we will see the MOA some time next week. (No promises, though ... LOL)

Keep you fingers crossed.

Yeah, it sucks when you're stuck behind a delivery truck, but this probably could have been handled better.

You have plenty of time to look them over. Pick a good one!     

(Thanks to PROUD MEMBER for the pic)

You probably heard the driver requesting a 911 call this morning. Don't know the circumstances but today's rain was blinding at times. Hope all involved are okay.

https://www.silive.com/crime-safety/2023/09/pedestrian-hit-by-school-bus-on-staten-island-during-the-friday-morning-rush-hour.html

(Thanks again to PROUD MEMBER for the article)

I think they're asking for a little too much! What about you?

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/09/29/qxtn-s29.html

Whelp, the 4 hours they shorted us last week aren't in this week's check either. And when??