Community Corner

SEAT Union Speaks Out Against Layoffs

Directors of Southeast Area Transit Say Contractual Increases Caused Staff Cuts

Five bus drivers were laid off by the Southeast Area Transit in the wake of a Jan. 7 $200,000 retroactive wage increase award to the drivers' union by an arbiter.

SEAT delivered pink slips to the five drivers hired most recently and eliminated one vacant position. Employees of the bus service claim that the positions are necessary in order to maintain service to the 10 communities that use the public transportation system, but the Board of Directors say the layoffs were needed to cover the cost of recent contract negotiations. 

"The reason we had to lay off people was to be able to pay our bills," said Paul Altman, chairman of the board, on Wednesday.  

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SEAT serves New London, Norwich, Stonington, East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, Montville, Waterford, and Griswold.

The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1209 and SEAT have been discussing the terms of a new contract since 2009, when the old contract expired, according to union president Jerry Pizunski. The union was awarded retroactive increases of 2 percent and 2.5 percent for 2009 and 2010. The new contract has a 3.5 percent increase in 2011 and a 4 percent increase in 2012. Drivers will have to pay more toward their insurance premiums, the cost of insurance rose from about $2 to $4 each week. 

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The eliminated positions were fill ins for people who are sick or on vacation. The positions are on the schedule full-time but sometimes the drivers sit in the building for an entire shift if they are not needed, according to Ella Bowman, general manager of the bus company. 

"We can't afford the luxury of having people basically sitting around," said Bowman. "Now we will have to try to do more with less." 

But employees are concerned that the reduction in staff will lead to service delays. If a spare driver isn't available when a driver calls in sick, someone will have to fill-in at the last minute, according to driver Marie Dimmock. 

"They have to call around and get people to do our job," said Dimmock. "Who is going to move the bus if there isn't a spare?" 

SEAT's earliest bus leaves the Preston headquarters by 5:45 a.m. and drops off students at St. Bernard School in Uncasville by 7:30 a.m. Employees cited bus #108, which goes to Foxwoods, and  bus #1, which goes from Norwich to New London, as critical for passengers who use the bus to go to work. 

The Board of Directors and management did not agree that service would be compromised by the layoffs. Recent reductions in service area and hours should be manageable with a smaller staff, according to Bowman. 

"If everybody's pulling their shift and coming to work when they should," she said, "then we should be able to make it through this hard time."


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