Q&A
Employee Protection Provisions (EPP) in bus contracts
2:21:24
·
99 sec
Council Member Julie Won inquires about Employee Protection Provisions (EPP) in bus contracts, their history, and current status. DOE officials explain the long-standing issues with implementing EPPs in all contracts.
- Legacy contracts date back to 1979, while non-legacy contracts started in 2013
- EPPs are present in 4 out of 5 current contracts and can be grandfathered in during extensions
- The city has made multiple attempts to rebid contracts with EPPs and pass EPP legislation
- A 2017 attempt to issue a bid with EPPs was struck down by courts due to the lack of supporting legislation
Julie Won
2:21:24
Okay.
2:21:25
I have a few questions about employee protection provisions.
2:21:30
So I just want to make sure that I'm understanding this correct.
2:21:35
For employee protection provisions.
2:21:37
We're waiting for the state law to make sure that it passes.
2:21:41
But can you help me understand?
2:21:42
Because the legacy contracts date back to 1979 and non legacy to 2013, what is taking so long for us to make sure that we make the changes in the state to have EPP in all contracts?
2:21:57
Why have we waited so long?
Glenn Risbrook
2:21:59
Well, this wasn't the we've been extending contracts over the years since 1979.
Christopher Leon Johnson
2:22:05
Mhmm.
Glenn Risbrook
2:22:06
And be chiefly because of the fact that that we could not get this legislative change to incorporate in in a new contract.
2:22:14
But EPPs, we have those in 4 out of 5 of our contracts that can continue to grandfather in as we do an extension.
2:22:25
So this is something that's been happening over time.
2:22:27
James, do you have anything else you want to add
James Sarkis
2:22:29
to that?
2:22:29
This isn't the the first round of a tempts to rebid that that we've made or the 1st round that the New York City Public Schools has attempted to pass EPP legislation.
2:22:38
This has actually been going on for quite some time.
2:22:41
They attempted to pass EPP legislation and issue a bid with EPP's in 2017 that was struck down by the courts because of the the illegality of EPPs and the fact that it wasn't contained in legislation.
2:22:55
So the city has been steadfast in its promotion of EPP and trying to get legislation passed, but unfortunately, has not been successful.
