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| Bus Drivers are Privatized | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jul 20 2011, 07:50 PM (1,584 Views) | |
| Deleted User | Jul 20 2011, 07:50 PM Post #1 |
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Plymouth-Canton privatizes bus drivers (with video) http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20110720/NEWS15/110719028/Plymouth-Canton-privatizes-bus-drivers-video-?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage Written by Brad Kadrich A roomful of passionate bus drivers and other transportation officials crowded into the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools Board of Education meeting Tuesday in an effort to save their jobs. It didn’t work. The board voted 5-2 to privatize some 150 bus driver and monitor positions, hiring Michigan Educational Transportation Systems, Inc., the only outside bidder, to phase in drivers and monitors for both the special education and general education bus services. The move is expected to save some $2.5 million in the first year for a district that plugged an $11 million hole in its 2011-2012 budget with its entire fund balance. “We’ve got to make these decisions,” board President John Jackson said as board members discussed the possibility of delaying the vote. “We had a decision to close a school, and we didn’t make it. We had a decision to raise class size, and we didn’t do that. We still have an $11 million hole, and we have to make these decisions.” James Larson-Shidler, the district’s assistant superintendent for business services, said the district currently pays some $6 million for drivers covered under the METS agreement. METS has agreed to supply them for $3.5 million, Larson-Shidler pointed out. In what interim Supt. Jeremy Hughes said was an unusual move for a district privatizing its transportation department, Plymouth-Canton retains ownership of its bus fleet, mechanic staff and all its transportation facilities. The contact with METS is only for drivers. And, Hughes pointed out, the agreement gives current drivers first crack at the jobs with METS, and maintains the current salary level for all PCCS drivers hired. The program is scheduled to be phased in over the first few months of the school year. METS will begin providing bus monitors over the summer, and special education drivers later in the fall, perhaps by November. The general education routes will be turned over to METS around the start of the second semester in January, Hughes said. The move has been brewing since spring, when the board asked the administration to go out for bids. Using a qualifying process, the district sent requests for proposal to three bidders: METS, Trinity and its own union. Trinity never supplied a bid, leaving METS bidding against the P-CCS union. That’s when another unusual move came, according to Hughes. When the bids were opened, the district gave the union a chance to match the METS bid. “We made a commitment to our people we’d let them know what the bid was and sit down with them to let them match it,” Hughes said. “We sat down with them Thursday and Friday last week ... we thought a significant gap existed between (METS) and our own people.” According to Hughes, the METS offer reduced the district’s driver expenditures by 57 percent, while the union’s proposal only cut it by 39 percent. But William Barber, the union’s chief steward, said the district never really bargained in good faith. Rather than bargain for concessions, Barber said, the district simply showed them the bid and told them they’d have to match it. “We never really bargained,” Barber said. “We really worked at bringing health care (costs) down, but (the district) wanted all or nothing. They never gave us a chance.” Trustee Steven Sneideman proposed an unsuccessful motion putting the vote off until the board’s August meeting to give the administration a chance to go back to the union to see if there was more negotiating that could be done. But Hughes told board members he felt they’d gotten the union’s last best offer. Barber stepped to the microphone during that discussion, but was never called upon. He said afterward the union “certainly would have been willing to talk.” bkadrich@hometownlife.com | (313) 222-8899 |
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| Ava | Jul 22 2011, 07:16 AM Post #2 |
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So what? Who cares?
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Livonia does whatever Plymouth does so........ |
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| kitkat | Jul 23 2011, 08:14 PM Post #3 |
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Livonia just approved a two year contract with their bus drivers, custodians and food service departments (AFSCME) |
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| Ava | Jul 23 2011, 09:16 PM Post #4 |
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So what? Who cares?
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I'm sure Livonia will follow the leader next time around. |
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| Mrs.M | Jun 13 2012, 01:54 PM Post #5 |
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Veteran
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This time it's custodial...same reason though, financial savings and budget funding Plymouth-Canton custodians demonstrate over jobs 11:39 PM, Jun. 12, 201 Written by Brad Kadrich Observer Staff Writer http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20120612/NEWS03/120612015/Plymouth-Canton-custodians-demonstrate-over-jobs?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage Christine Siepierski wanted to be at Tuesday’s Plymouth-Canton Board of Education meeting, where many of her custodial brothers and sisters were demonstrating in effort to convince board members not to privatize their jobs. Ironically, Siepierski had to work. So there was her daughter, Melissa, carrying a sign at the corner of Canton Center and Hanford, along with dozens of other union members, staffers and supporters. “I’m here for my mom,” Melissa said. “She couldn’t be here, so I’m here for her.” Tuesday’s demonstration came amid the board’s deliberations on the 2012/13 budget. Part of that consideration is the idea of privatizing custodial jobs. District officicals have already received RFPs from private vendors for that service, a move they say — if they make it — could save some $1 million, mostly in pension and health-care costs. But a number of supporters spoke up Tuesday, urging the board not to balance its budget on the backs of its employees. “Every single person goes above and beyond the expectations of what they’re paid for,” said Kathy Ladenberger, who has been at Salem High School for 16 of the 21 years she’s worked in the district. “It’s not a business. It’s not designed for private companies to come in and make money off taxpayer dollars. It’s designed for public education.” Brodie Killian, the district’s executive director for finance, said the move would help patch a budget deficit originally projected to be nearly $6 million which still stands, as of Tuesday, at $3.1 million. District officials said the move, which they stressed is only being considered as negotiations with the custodians continue, could bring as much as a $2 million swing in the budget. It could help the district earn another $52 per pupil in state aid money (nearly $1 million) if they meet 7-of-8 “best practices” criteria set by Gov. Rick Snyder. The district could also save some $1 million, mostly in pension and health care benefit costs. “We realize it’s a painful decision,” Killian said. “But realizing our financial situation, we aren’t left with many options.” Not all of the demonstrators were custodial workers or members of their union. There were plenty of secretaries, some teachers and other staffers on hand to lend support. Jolie Valentine, a librarian for seven years at Hoben Elementary School, said she walked the line because custodians are “part of our fmaily, part of our community ... we have to stick together.” “They go above and beyond (what’s expected of) their jobs all the time,” Valentine said. “I don’t want to be in a building where I don’t know the custodians, where I don’t know the secretary. We’re family.” Ladenberger said this year’s privatization discussion comes a year after the custodians’ union gave up $1 million in concessions preparing for the 2011/12 budget. She pointed out her union has lost some 40 jobs in the last five years. A request for another $1 million befuddles Ladenberger. “We’re one of the groups that’s always worked well with (the board),” she said. “We’ve given up $2 million; last year we gave up 21 custodians for $1 million in savings. This year, they’re saying if you don’t give us $1 million, we’ll privatize. I consider this bullying.” Board members will meet in a budget session Monday. They’re expected to pass the 2012/13 budget at their June 26 meeting. bkadrich@hometownlife.com | (313) 222-8899 |
| I'd agree with you, but then we'd both be WRONG. | |
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| DADDYOH10 | Jun 13 2012, 03:29 PM Post #6 |
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Veteran
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My neighbor is employed driving busses in the LPS and his pay is about $.50 AN HOUR MORE than a strter at Wendy's! No benefits. No wonder they have signs at the schools (had). |
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| Mrs.M | Jun 27 2012, 10:16 AM Post #7 |
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Veteran
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Plymouth-Canton custodians OK new deal 12:31 AM, Jun. 27, 201 They have to take 17 furlough days. They don’t have dental care, or vision protection. But the 73 custodians who are members of the Plymouth-Canton Custodial/Maintenance Association have something they didn’t think they’d have a couple of weeks ago. Jobs. After negotiating until the proverbial 11th hour, the union and negotiators for the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools reached an agreement on a new contract that will keep the union’s members working for the district. Union members ratified the deal Tuesday afternoon; the district is expected to sign it at a meeting July 9. “We took a big hit,” said Kathy Ladenberger, president of the custodians’ local. “We’re part of a family, and we weren’t willing to give that up.” Once the union ratified the deal, the Board of Education Tuesday night voted to suspend any talks with potential contractors for custodial services. The district won’t pursue privatization of the union. Union concessions amounted to some $1 million. According to Ladenberger, it’s the second straight year the union has given that amount in concessions. “We are pleased and commend them for fine bargaining and for reaching concessions at the midnight hour,” said Monica Merritt, the district’s executive director of human resources. “We commend the hard work, dedication and professionalism of our amazing custodial workers.” Last year’s concessions included the loss of 21 jobs; this year, no jobs were lost. But the union took a 10-percent pay cut, lost their uniform allowance, have no dental and vision insurance coverage and agreed to take 17 unpaid furlough days. Even with that, union members, who staged an informational picket a few weeks ago in an effort to get the board to stop talk of privatization, were happy to still have jobs. “I’m glad we’re still here,” Ladenberger said. “I’m not pleased with the cuts. It’s a little disheartening the district looked to us for another million dollars. But I’m glad the word ‘privatization’ is out of the district’s vocabulary. “The way things are going, the jobs just aren’t out there,” she added. “I’m glad we got to save 73 jobs.” bkadrich@hometownlife.com | (313) 222-8899 http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20120627/NEWS15/120627003/Plymouth-Canton-custodians-OK-new-deal?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage |
| I'd agree with you, but then we'd both be WRONG. | |
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| Born on the Fourth of July | Jul 4 2012, 08:44 PM Post #8 |
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I was driving down Hagerty rd in Plymouth Twp the other day and noticed some signs that likened privatization to outsourcing. I didn't catch what was being privatized; does anyone know what these particular signs were in reference to? (I noticed that many of these signs were at the same houses and locations that had the We Support Our Firefighters signs) |
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