Email the PEP!

[Buzz]

I would encourage everyone to send an Email to the Pep at panel@schools.nyc.gov and encourage them to approve the contract. Please don't make it about YOU. Make it about the disruption of service to the children and families.

Here is the email I just sent ...

To Whom It May Concern,
 
So, according to your "Resolution," I understand that the Panel does not want to approve a new 5-year contract with union bus companies because it doesn't contain an Employee Protection Provision (which it hasn't for well over a decade).
 
As a long-time employee of an ATU 1181 company I'd like to ask a question: In what day and age are you people living? Do you realize that virtually every school bus company in the city (and nation) is in desperate need of drivers?
 
Can you understand that at this point in time an EPP is a NON-ISSUE? The reason for less-than-adequate service isn't due to the lack of an Employee Protection Provision. It's due to the LACK OF EMPLOYEES to protect!
 
The blame for any discontinuance of school bus service will rest completely on the PEP. Please stop the nonsense and APPROVE THE CONTRACT!!

[PROUD MEMBER]

Done
Everyone should email the panel and tell their friends and family to do the same. Don't just say (or don't say it at all) that you're a school bus employee. Say your a parent or grandparent.

[rc1790]

Who wrote that for you

[Buzz]

Who wrote that for you

LOL

[Buzz]

Okay, so I thought of something that didn't enter my mind the first time so I had to send a second one (from a different email addy). Those of you who were here when we were laid off due to COVID will understand. Here's what I wrote:

Dear Panel Members Aaron Bogad, Adriana Alicea, Alan Ong, Alice Ho, Amy Fair, Anita Garcia, Anthony Giordano, Camille Casaretti, Dr. Angela Green, Gregory Faulkner, Maisha Sapp, Marielle Ali, Marjorie Dienstag, Naveed Hasan, Phoebe-Sade Arnold, and Shirley Aubin:

This email is concerning your resolution not to approve the 5-year yellow school bus contract that the city has already accepted. I understand your reason for this is that the contract does not contain an employee protection provision.

While the EPP was a great policy before being destroyed by Mr.  Bloomberg, the need for such a policy is no longer as important as it once was. This is because due to the dire shortage of school bus drivers, any qualified driver could walk into virtually any union company in the city and be welcomed with open arms and hired immediately. Times have changed and there simply is not an urgent enough need for an EPP to warrant not approving the contract and causing a shut-down of yellow bus service.

As it is, you are partly to blame for the scarcity of drivers in this city. You are the panel who, about 5 years ago, when schools were closed because of COVID, would not approve the funds to bus companies needed to pay for their employees' health benefits. Remember that? As a result, many drivers left the industry permanently and sought other employment with coverage. The PEP was solely responsible for that. Congratulations.

Now, you are on the precipice of thinning the industry's workforce even further by forcing the layoff of thousands of workers. Many who have the years in have already said that if this happens they will turn in their retirement papers. You can rest assured there are not throngs of qualified people looking to replace them.

I implore all of you to consider the extreme consequences of your failure to approve this contract and how you will be responsible for decimating this industry even more with another bad decision. You did enough damage during COVID. Don't compound it even further.

Please, get with the times. get a clue, educate yourselves as to what's going on in the real world and approve this contract!!

[PROUD MEMBER]

Buzz
I understand your point and it's all true but I don't think that literally blaming someone for failure in the past is not going to change their mindset. Unfortunately I think it might do just the opposite.

[Buzz]

Buzz
I understand your point and it's all true but I don't think that literally blaming someone for failure in the past is not going to change their mindset. Unfortunately I think it might do just the opposite.

I wasn't trying to be nice. Needed to remind them they are partly responsible for the driver shortage. I wanted to let them know the blame would again be on them.

You might take a different approach, and that's fine. In any case, you responded and I really appreciate that!

[PROUD MEMBER]

As I appreciate you emailing PEP not once but twice. Now if we could get the other 12,000 Union Members and their families & friends to send in emails maybe the Panel would listen.