Schools

District 15 Bus Drivers to Receive Pink Slips

Four District 15 board members vote yes, and three abstained in the vote to send out reduction in force notices to district transportation employees.

Emotions were riding high at the District 15 board meeting Wednesday night, as more than a dozen people-both parents and bus drivers-and in some cases both, came before the board to voice their opposition and the perceived impact of outsourcing bus services

In the end, four school board members voted in favor of sending out Reduction in Force [RIF] notices to bus drivers, bus driver assistants and secretaries. Three board members abstained from the vote. 

At issue, in part, was an  (DTU).  

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"I would like to request that the people responsible for this email, resign from [your] paid and elected postions," said Shiela Feikes, a D15 parent, PTA member and school bus driver. "The people of District 15 deserve to be informed accurately; I was saddened to see such slander."

Others who spoke publically talked about the financial impact outsourcing could have on the Distict 15 community. 

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"Our community needs the money to stay here, for every 25 jobs that are contracted out, there is $160,000 in lost wages, and $230,000 in earnings that would have been spent in the local economy,” said Samara Dykstra, a five year bus assistant and District 15 resident. 

The bottom line, said Herb Rocha, a 34-year Palatine resident and bus driver, is that by staying internal, the district could save between $1.7 and $1.9 million due to recent changes in reimbursements from the state for outsourcing. 

Jennifer Talion, who has a special needs child that is bussed to his school, fought back tears as she asked the board to consider children like her son, who rely heavily on the familiarity of bus drivers.

"Wen I first put my son on the bus as a non-verbal three year old, I was able to feel confidence he was [going to be] well taken care of, I don't have the same confidence in outsourced drivers," Talion said. 

Prior to the comments, Assistant Superintendent of Finance/Operations, Michael Adamczyk painted a bleak picture about pending or possible cuts to education budgets across the state. 

“Governor Quinn is proposing reductions in education funding, including transportation-some initiatives involve pushing costs to local school districts,” Adamczyk said. “Sequestration alone has had a $448,000 [negative] impact, and our education fund will have to pick that up.”

Before the board vote on whether or not to approve sending out pink slips to District 15 transportation workers, School Board President Tim Millar made a statement. 

Since February 25, District 15 has been in negotiations with the DTU regarding a new contract, the board is committed to negotiating in good faith,” Millar said. “This action does not necessarily mean that any transportation employees will be laid off.”

Millar referenced what he said was a legal requirement for the board to give employees a 90 day RIF notice. 

That notice would need to be sent out prior to April 2, according to Jim Garwood, deputy superintendent. 

“April 16 is our next meeting with the DTU and the results are uncertain at this time. Our [ultimate] actions will depend on the results of the negotiation process,” Millar said.

The vote on the RIF notices broke down as follows:

Millar, Vice President Scott Herr, and board members Manjula Sriram and David Seiffert voted yes to sending out pink slips.

"We are doing our due diligence, we want to negotiate with the District 15 Transportation Union," Seiffert said.

Members who abstained included Peggy Babcock, Gerard Iannuzzelli and Richard Bokor. 

"I am not able to make a decision until I have more information about the incoming bids," Bokor said.

Initial bids from Durham and First Student were thrown out, and new bids were requested by the district on Monday, February 25. They are expected to be released on Friday, March 15. 

Iannuzzelli openly agreed with Bokor's statement as justification for his abstention. 

After the meeting, DTU President Carin Ulrich said the DTU plans to analyze new bids from outside tranportation agencies to determine how they will move forward. 

"When our members receive their pink slips, they are still going to be shocked. Their lives and their futures have been in chaos," Ulrich said. 


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