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From YouTube: Committee on Ways & Means on March 14, 2019
Description
Docket #0212, 0213 - Message and order approving appropriations of One Million Three Hundred Eighty-Eight Thousand One Hundred Fifty-Four Dollars ($1,388,154.00) for the Boston Public Schools to cover the impact of the collective bargaining agreement between Transdev and its bus drivers on the City’s transportation contract with the vendor, Transdev
A
I'd
like
to
ask
folks
in
the
chamber
to
silence
their
electronic
devices
remind
folks
this.
This
is
a
public
hearing
is
being
recorded
and
broadcast
on
Comcast
channel,
8
r,
CN
82,
Verizon
1964
and
streamed
at
Boston,
gov,
backslash
city
council
TV.
At
the
conclusion
of
the
department's
presentation
and
questions
from
my
colleagues,
we
will
take
public
testimony.
There
is
a
sign-in
sheet
to
my
left.
We
ask
that
you
sign
in
provide
your
name
any
affiliation
and
mark
the
box.
A
If
you
do
wish
to
testify,
we
will
also
take
written
testimony
in
the
form
of
email
at
CCC,
dot
WM
at
Boston
gov
and
by
snail
mail
as
well.
I
am
joined
by
two
of
my
colleagues
to
my
left
in
order
of
their
arrival,
my
friend
from
South
Boston
district
councillor,
Ed
Flynn
in
to
my
right,
my
friend
and
colleague,
from
Jamaica
Plain
councilor,
maro
Malley.
So
with
that
I
want
to
welcome
John
and
Edie
to
the
chamber.
Thanks.
B
Thank
you
very
much.
My
name
is
John
Hanlin
I'm,
the
chief
operating
officer
for
Boston
Public,
Schools
I'm
joined
by
Edie
pêche
assistant,
director
of
finance
in
the
Transportation
Department
of
Boston
Public
Schools
I'll.
Note
that
in
the
week
leading
up
to
Saint
Patrick's
Day
I
enjoy
the
three
city
councilors
here
this
morning.
Thank
you
for
mcdonnen,
your
green
ties,
I
guess.
B
So,
just
to
be
clear
what
we're
presenting
on
today
is
a
contract.
That's
not
technically
between
the
city
of
Boston
and
the
bus
drivers,
you
know
the
steelworkers
local
bus
drivers.
This
is
actually
a
contract
between
Transdev
and
the
bus
drivers.
Negotiations
are
coordinated
between
Transdev
and
the
bus
drivers,
but
because
the
bus
drivers
do
make
up
a
large
workforce
within
Boston
Public
Schools,
albeit
through
a
contractor,
we
do
need
to
come
through
City
Council
and
school
committee
to
have
supplemental
funding
approved
to
support
the
cost
of
that
contract.
B
C
That
agreement
is
a
three
year
agreement
which
started
on
July
1
retroactive,
July,
1
2018
and
will
run
through
June
30th
2021.
This
school
rate
increases
because
there's
a
difference
between
what
a
driver
gets
paid
for
school
rate
and
then
charter
rate,
which
is
what
a
driver
gets
paid
for
charter
work,
so
athletics
and
field
trips.
The
school
rate
increases
are
going
to
be
2%
each
year,
so
2%
in
FY
19,
2
%,
FY
20
and
another
2%
in
FY
2021.
A
A
Get
that
from
the
CFO
then
well,
one
thing
that
jumped
out
at
me
in
reviewing
some
of
the
material
is,
it
says
in
FY,
2019
20
drivers
suspended
DCF
investigations
in
accident
review.
Some
employees
have
been
long
term
leave
and
collecting
benefits
since
before
2013
50
haven't
driven
since
before
2013.
They
do
not
collect
a
salary
but
collect
the
life
insurance
benefit
of
a
hundred
and
seventy
five
thousand
per
year
and
I.
You
know
we
had
a
little
discussion
before
the
hearing,
but
on
the
record,
can
you
explain
how
that
benefit
works?
A
C
C
You
know
Boston
Public
Schools
with
that
there's
a
condition
in
the
CBA
that
says
that
any
employee
unapproved
leave
can
collect
this
life
insurance
benefit,
so
the
total
cost
of
that
life,
insurance
insurance
benefit,
and
it's
for
premiums
for
I,
don't
even
know
if
it's
all
fifty
are
actually
enrolled
in
that
program.
But
for
those
fifty
long-term
leave
is
one
hundred
seventy
five
thousand
dollars
per
year
in
total,
so
not
a
hundred
seventy-five
thousand
per
person
per
cat.
A
total
sum.
C
And
because
you
know
when
you
transition
contracts,
you
know
there
are
different
systems
in
play
and
different
kind
of
in
row.
You
know
employee
policies
under
first
student,
then
you
know
first
Transdev.
We
don't
even
know
to
be
certain
how
long
before
2013
I
mean
they
could
have
been
first
student
was
here
from
you
know
the
early
2000,
so
they
could
be.
You
know
we're
talking
substantial
years,
since
any
of
these
people
have
driven,
for
you
know
the
city
of
Boston,
Boston,
Public,
Schools,
right.
A
C
So
there
are
two
different
things
in
terms
of
three
different
things
in
terms
of
retirement.
At
the
you
know,
end
of
someone's
employment
after
at
least
30
years,
working
in
the
Boston
Public
Schools
operation.
So
that's
through
many
contractors.
In
most
cases
a
driver
can
luck
can
collect
a
severance
package
based
on
how
many
years
of
service.
So
it's
how
many
years
of
service
and
then
this
current
contract,
it's
a
thousand
dollars
per
year
service.
As
a
you
know,
a
severance
package,
you
you
leave
with
throughout
their
employment.
C
They
also
can
enroll
in
a
401k
plan
with
whoever
the
contractor
is
at
the
time,
and
there
is
a
company
match.
So
the
you
know,
Transdev
will
you
know,
match
a
portion
salary
into
the
401k,
so
they'll
be
collecting
this
401k
post
post
retirement
and
then
the
last
thing
is,
you
know
a
no
peb
so
and
other
post
employment
benefits.
So
it's
a
medical
kind
of
health
care
plan
for
retirees
right
and
that's.
C
The
structure
of
the
current
contract
has
a
fixed
management
fee
which
started
at
when
transit
first
got
here
at
2.75
million
dollars
and
increases
by
CPI
adjustment
every
year.
So
you
know,
could
be
between
two
and
four
percent.
Every
year
it's
mm-hmm
current
year,
it's
around
2.9
million
dollars
and
that's
fixed,
so
they
will
always
get
that,
regardless
of
how
well
they
perform.
On
top
of
that.
In
our
contract
there
is
a
million
dollar
kind
of
incentive
based
variable
management
fee
that
if
Transdev
does
well,
they
kind
of
have
access
to
this
million
dollars.
C
So
at
the
beginning
of
the
year
we
stand
up
a
million
dollar,
you
know
balance
and
then,
as
they
perform,
you
know
poorly.
We
kind
of
draw
down
from
that.
So,
throughout
the
course
of
this
contract,
we've
never
paid
out
that
million
dollars
for
you.
So
that's
it
was
the
original
intention
was
they
have
access
to
this
million
dollar
fee,
so
it's
going
to
drive
them
and
incentive
I
incentivize
them
to
do
well.
Unfortunately,
because
of
certain
you
know,
performance
metrics
they've
never
received
that
and
we've
never
paid
that
out.
Gotcha.
A
A
Is
that
kind
of
what
we're
going
to
expect
going
forward
and
the
reason
I
asked
that
is
several
years
ago.
Actually,
when
mayor
Marty
Walsh
came
in,
we
were
attempting
to
put
the
seventh
graders
on
the
seventh
and
eighth
and
he
did
more
of
a
phase,
and
we,
you
know,
took
the
eighth
graders
off
one
year
and
we
were
supposed
to
reap
significant
benefits
from
that.
If
I
remember
like
millions,
so
if
that,
if
we
hadn't
done
that,
obviously
I'm,
assuming
that
you
know
that's
5%
a
year,
could
have
been
a
lot
more
canned.
C
So
one
thing
to
highlight
is
the
growth
that
we've
seen
over
the
last
couple
of
years
has
actually
been
shrinking.
So
from
50
FY
15,
FY
16,
we
saw
a
rate
of
growth
of
five
point.
Five
point:
three
percent
and
our
current
year
projection,
so
2019
compared
to
2018
is
two
point
four
percent,
so
we've
well,
we
haven't
been,
you
know
decreasing
our
spending.
C
We've
been,
you
know,
closing
that
gap,
which
is
a
huge
accomplishment
in
terms
of
you,
know
future
the
way
I
put
it
at
a
previous
hearing
was
if
every
single
student
lived
at
the
same
address
they
did
this
year
and
was
going
to
the
same
exact
school.
Every
single
rat
was
the
same.
We
would
likely
spend
more
next
year
and
that's
because
of
the
way
this
budget
and
what
we
pay
for
is
structured.
C
You
know
it's
a
it's
a
workforce
of
six
six
different
Union
Union
forces
which
all
have
I
think
right
now
all
have
two
percent
increases
built
into
there.
So
there's
going
to
be,
you
know,
inflationary
wage
increases
and
then
what's
different
from
our
state
or
our
EPS
budget
versus
almost
all
other
bps
budgets
and
city
department
budgets
is
we're
hit
with
you
know:
they're,
not
pensions,
their
401ks
health
insurance
and
all
those
things,
regardless
of
what's
happening,
is
likely
gonna
grow
every
year.
Great.
B
B
The
savings
from
that
are
actually
much
more
reduced
because
you
may
have
had
a
bus
of
twenty
students,
three
of
whom
were
seventh
and
eighth
graders.
You
still
have
that
bus
of
17
students
the
next
year
and
probably
20
as
we
find
other
children
to
pick
up
along
the
route.
One
other
thing
that
I
would
point
out
is
the
cost
increases
that
Ed
mentions
you're
used
to
this
from
hearing
budget
presentations
from
across
all
city
departments.
B
There
isn't
a
city
department
here
that
would
present
a
net
savings
from
year
to
year,
simply
because
wages
benefits,
especially
in
our
case,
benefits
that
we
have
to
pay
for
in
our
budget,
that
other
departments
don't
other
line
items,
but
they'll
continue
to
go
up
in
costs
year
to
year,
no
matter
how
aggressive
our
savings
goals
are,
which
they
typically
are
year
to
year.
Right
in.
A
D
D
C
I
will
say
is
that:
well
we
don't
like
the
content,
doesn't
promote
paying
for
access
childcare.
There
is
a
leave
category
called
child
care
leave
and
where
a
driver
can
take
a
child,
you
know
take
a
leave
because
of
child
care
purposes
and
then
return
those
work.
So
well,
not
while
we're
not
providing
access
to
the
child
care
service,
we
are
providing.
You
know,
access
for
the
person
to
take
a
leave
and
go
do
that.
That's.
D
A
that's
a
major
issue
that
I'm
gonna
try
to
focus
on
is
how
we
can
get
more
more
workers,
whether
the
contractors
are
city
employees
or
people
working
in
the
city,
more
better
access
to
childcare.
It's
so
it's
so
expensive
that
we
have
to
start
working
on
that
issue,
especially
on
these
a
lot
of
these
contracts
so
going
forward.
Maybe
we
can
have
a
discussion
about
about
that
issue.
B
Yun
counselor
one
last
thing
that
I'd
point
out
too,
is
that
oftentimes
items
end
up
in
contracts
because
of
the
the
wants
needs
demands
of
the
two
different
parties
and
as
of
right
now
the
average
age
of
our
drivers
is
about
60.
We
don't
have
the
the
number
of
drivers
within
our
workforce
who
have
sort
of
childcare
demands,
as
maybe
they
once
did
I
think
with
a
different.
You
know
different
set
of
circumstances.
B
D
D
I
served
25
years
in
the
Navy
and
I
had
random
drug
testing
frequently
for
25
years
and
I
certainly
agree
with
alcohol
and
drug
testing
for
employees,
especially
as
it's
done
through
the
collective
bargaining
process.
But
can
you
talk
about
this
program
and
maybe
focus
a
little
bit
on
as
we
almost
head
towards
the
legals
legalization
of
marijuana?
C
So
what
I
can
speak
to
is
you
know
all
our
drivers
go
through
a
drug
and
alcohol?
You
know
screening
and
testing,
you
know
at
higher
and
then
also
if
there
are
ever
involved
in
an
accident,
I
believe,
regardless
of
the
severity
of
the
accident,
they
have
to
get
drug
and
alcohol
tests,
but
I'll
you
know
come
back
and
verify
that
and
I'm,
not
sure
in
terms
you
know
federal
or
state
law
and
mandates
kind
of
that
world,
but
we
can
get
back
to
you
in.
D
My
job
as
a
probation
officer
right
I
had
a
randomly
test.
My
probationers
in
many
would
be
tested
positive
for
for
marijuana,
which
would
stay
in
the
system
for
30
days.
How
would
that
impact
a
bus
driver
that
may
be
in
a
minor
accident
or
or
another
accident
he's
tested
positive
for
marijuana,
but
he
may
have
used
it.
You
know
a
week
before
the
accident
happened.
He
may
not
be
under
the
influence
of
marijuana
at
that
time,
but
it's
still
in
a
system.
C
I
can
say
to
that
is
I'll
review
with
Transdev,
because
since
they
are
Transit
employees,
transept
has
a
whole
employee
handbook
and
employee
conduct
and
I'll
just
make
sure
that
I
get
that
exact
terminology
and
kind
of
what
the
policy
is
internally
for
them.
For
you,
because
I'm
not
sure
how
it
works,
especially
in
the
transit
industry,
yeah.
C
B
13
months
of
resets,
so
that
the
slate
is
wiped
clean,
it
could
be
that
in
an
offense
like
that
which
we
can
look
up
for
you,
but
in
an
offense
like
that
accident,
they're
tested
positive
for
marijuana.
Maybe
it
came
days
before.
Maybe
it
came
earlier
that
morning
could
be
that
they
they
just
hit
the
next
step
in
in
progressive
discipline.
We
would
have
to
check
on
that,
though,
in
your
report
back
to
you,
okay,.
D
You
know
in
you
may
not
be
under
the
influence
of
marijuana,
so
maybe
I'll
work
with
the
neo
and
the
administration
on
exactly
what
we
can
do
or
can't
do
on
that
issue.
Any
any
provisions
in
there
on
bus
drivers
that
might
be
veterans
and
I
know
you
you've,
given
a
different
some
time
off
because
of
military
leave,
but
anything
else
that
you're
doing
in
terms
of
helping
bus
drivers
that
are
that
are
veterans.
So.
D
E
C
I'm
not
sure,
actually
so,
when
you
kind
of
drill
into
those
25
or
30
about
20
of
them
are
tied
up
in.
What's
called
the
accident
review
committee
or
with
you
know,
DCF
cases
so
51a
has
been
filed
against
them,
so
we're
kind
of
at
the
mercy
of
those
processes
before
we
can
get
these
guys
back
on
the
road.
Obviously,
if
there's
you
know
minor
reasons
that
a
driver
suspended
we're
looking
to
turn
that
round
as
fast
as
possible,
so.
E
It
could
be
so
so
I
want
to
talk
about
those
20,
but
then
those
other
ten
to
five
to
ten
that
could
be
someone's
chronically
late.
It's
a
2-day
suspension,
yeah,
you
know
to
sort
of
clean
his
or
her
act
up.
Okay,
so
of
those
20
drivers
are
suspended
because
of
DCF
investigation.
So
that's
51a,
that's,
presumably
a
parent
or
a
teacher
files,
a
claim
that
they
are
not
treating
children
correctly.
E
Accident
review,
meaning
there's
an
accident
and
correctly
Transdev,
wants
to
remove
that
driver
from
the
streets
until
there
can
be
a
thorough
investigation,
correct
and
of
those.
So
this
is
I.
Guess
the
statistic
that
the
Chairman
reference
and
I
just
want
clarity
on.
According
to
my
notes,
some
employees
have
been
a
long-term
leave
and
collecting
benefits
since
before
2013
6
years
ago,
yes,
50,
haven't
driven
since
before
2013.
C
E
C
C
E
B
To
life
insurance
and
then
the
insurance
company
pays
it
out.
It's
simply
insurance
policy,
so
the
premium
that
we
have
to
pay
per
driver
is
something
in
the
order
of
you
know:
thirty,
seven
fifty
per
year,
that's
just
simply
the
premium
I
say
total
that
we
paved
per
driver.
If
a
driver
passes,
then
we
nor
transitive
actually
pay
the
drivers
family.
That
comes
from
the
insurance
company,
but
this
is
something
that
Transdev
and
these
of
ebps
inherited
from
before
trans
Deb's
time.
Okay,.
B
One
note
too,
if
you
don't
mind,
I'm
suspended
with
pay
last
year,
when
we
presented
before
the
council
I
believe
the
number
was
30
to
35
drivers
suspended
with
pay
when
we
presented
a
couple
weeks
ago
to
City
Council
on
transportation
spending
for
FY
19.
To
date,
the
average
number
for
this
school
year
is
24.
B
E
I
appreciate
that
I
know
you
guys
do
it.
I
would
urge
that
continued
efforts
to
drive
that
number
down
and
then
just
to
keep
an
eye
on
those
50
drivers
who
haven't
been,
who
haven't
have
been
driving
since
before
2013,
even
though
it
is,
it
works
out
to
whatever
three
thousand
dollars
that
that
does
add
up,
and
it
does
seem
to
me
that
we
need
to
get
that
number
is
close
to
zero
as
possible.
E
C
E
C
Overall,
the
main
decrease
that
we've
seen
is
when
we
transitioned
the
seventh
and
eighth
graders
from
yellow
school
bus
yeah
to
MBTA.
For
the
most
part,
we've
seen
a
slight
decline
but
relatively
flat.
But
the
more
important
thing
to
note
is
that,
even
though
we
might
be
transporting
fewer
students
who
are
transporting
two
more
locations
yeah,
so
we
transport
to
228
or
29-28
to
228,
and
you
know,
while
DPS
enrollments
went
flat,
/
shrinking
and
you
know
we
don't
just
transport
bps
students
we're
you
know
private
parochial
charter.
So
on
how.
B
Yes,
so
when
we
presented
here
two
weeks
ago,
I'd
call
your
attention
to
slide
four
from
that
document
from
two
weeks
ago,
and
we
can
for
that
presentation
to
you,
but
on
slide
four,
we
referenced
the
students
and
sites
that
we
serve
across
different
school
types
for
charter
and
parochial
this
for
the
number
of
students.
This
year
alone,
we
serve
about
5,000
students
in
charter
about
335
and
private,
parochial
and
roughly
200
and
private
special
education
placements
outside
of
the
city
Oh.
B
B
E
Again,
I
know
we're
getting.
This
is
more
sort
of
the
policy
and
we
will
have
many
weeks
and
months
ahead
to
this
Sagat
said
this
is
more
about
a
collective
bargaining,
appreciate
you
being
able
to
negotiate
work
and
get
some
of
the
table.
I
think
it
does
Bulai
concerns,
and
my
colleagues
in
have
but
I
know
you
guys
do
too
I
mean
this
is
something
I
think
that
we
all
share
concerns
about
ways
of
being
efficient,
getting
these
costs
down
and
also
getting
the
best
value
for
our
for
our
taxpayers
in
Boston.
E
A
B
E
B
Is
a
question
that
we've
heard
quite
often
both
at
City
Council
of
public
meeting
a
school
committee?
What
have
you
and
what
we
could
tell
you
is
a
similar
answer
to
what
we've
reported
in
the
past
a
few
different
things
number
one.
Our
overall
costs
won't
go
down
much
simply
because
of
the
size
of
the
vehicle,
because
the
overall
drivers
of
costs
are
much
more
in
the
drivers,
wages
and
benefits
in
addition
to
that
fuel
costs
aren't
much
cheaper
in
a
smaller
vehicle
than
they
are
with
propane
powered,
yellow
school
bus.
B
In
addition
to
that,
a
second
very
important
factor
is
while
it's
easy
to
see
a
yellow
school
bus
transporting
say
two
students
at
one
time
in
the
morning.
You
might
not
realize
that
by
the
time
it
gets
to
the
school,
it
has
28
students
on
board
and
it
drops
off,
and
then
it
could
be
that
on
that
next
trip
it
only
drives
two
students,
and
so
it's
easy
to
say.
B
Well,
that's
the
trip
that
could
have
been
done
by
a
van,
but
what
people
don't
realize
is
that
when
it
gets
that
second
school
and
then
has
to
make
its
third
trip,
it's
now
gonna
be
picking
up,
38
students
and
so
actually
moving.
Two
vans
would
require
a
few
different
things
of
note
number
one.
We
would
likely
need
more
bus
yard
number
two
would
likely
drive
up
our
costs,
because
we
would
lose
the
flexibility
that
increased
capacity
has
on
our
buses,
even
if
the
capacity
is
not
used
to
its
fullest.
B
The
fact
that
the
capacity
is
there
for
a
future
trip
where
you
do
need
the
capacity
is
extremely
important
and
not
something
that
our
vans
would
be
able
to
do.
We
have
smaller
buses,
our
ms
a--'s.
They
look
like
tiny
little
matchbox
buses
that
we
serve
and
we
can
fit
no
more
than
15
people
on
one
of
those
buses.
If
our
fleet
were
made
up
of
those,
we
would
have
higher
costs,
just
as
it
were,
just
as
if
we
had
money
made.
Many
bands
that
provided
the
service.
E
A
You
and
to
your
original
point:
if
everybody
stayed
where
they
lived
year
in
and
year
out,
it's
it's
basically
a
logistical
challenge:
every
year
to
reroute
buses,
it's
not
like
the
MBTA,
they
have
a
set
route
for
the
most
part,
and
so
I
commend
your
work,
and
you
know
your
attention
on
the
the
details
of
this
contract
and
and
how
we
can
get
to
a
better
efficiency
long
term
with
our
transportation
costs.
Thanks
thanks
for
your
time
and
attention,
doc,
it's
0
to
1
2
&
0
to
1
3
I
hereby
adjourn
this
hearing.