Q&A
Discussion on Employee Protection Provisions (EPPs) in school bus contracts
3:06:03
·
49 sec
Council Member Julie Won inquires about the history and current status of Employee Protection Provisions (EPPs) in school bus contracts. Tomas Fret, President of Local 1181 of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), explains the changes since the Bloomberg administration and ongoing efforts to reinstate EPPs.
- EPPs were eliminated in 2013, leading to significant cuts in wages and benefits
- Previous attempts to reinstate EPPs through legislation were vetoed by former Governor Cuomo
- The union is currently working on new language to introduce to the current governor
Julie Won
3:06:03
Thank you so much, President Fred, for being here.
3:06:05
Can you help me understand what has happened since Bloomberg Administration decided to eliminate EPPs and why the governor since then have been refusing to sign this into law to reinstate it.
Tomas Fret
3:06:21
Okay.
3:06:21
Yes.
3:06:21
So back in 2013, there was a race to the bottom where the new contracts came into place in 2014, and that was cut in wages and half, no benefits, no pension.
3:06:32
So that led us to introduce legislation.
3:06:35
Into Albany.
3:06:36
And I believe Governor Cuomo at the time vetoed it because it was in the exact language he was looking for.
3:06:43
And we've been working ever since to just try to get an end process.
3:06:46
So now when working with the international, to develop new language and introduce it to the new governor.
