We received this email:
Dear Honorable County Commissioners,
Today, Sunday, April 23, 2017 a packed Union Hall made up of over 60 members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1395 which represents the Transit workers who work for Escambia County Area Transit and Escambia County Community Transportation held a “special vote” addressing a vote of “no confidence” of First Transit Corporate. The Union members quickly took a unanimous vote with many members holding both arms up.
First Transit has lost the faith of the workforce after the debacle of mis-managing the ECAT workers 401k defined contribution plan. Last June, after complaints started rising from ECAT Transit workers that felt their 401k pension contributions and employer contributions were not being matched or in many cases to many members not even being contributed to. After researching the numbers the Union quickly filed a grievance on behalf of all Transit workers.
The grievance is still pending and even been process to an arbitration. But, because this has been argued before the County Commissioners during public forums in the past and the Clerk of the Court has hired an independent auditor who has to review the pending case. The ECAT workforce has been loud and vocal about their anger of monies missing from their pension accounts.
The clear message from the Union members was its time for First Transit to go. What was noticeable was the motion on the floor did not include the local First Transit Management, just Corporate First Transit. The Union also expressed concerns of ECCT being managed by small transit companies. Tarah Lovette, one of the senior drivers at ECCT stated, we’ve worked for a small Company in the past, “we did that, and we’ve done that” referring to Pensacola Bay Transportation running the Paratransit system in the past before losing the contract due to causing major safety hazards with unsafe vehicles. “There is only option and its time for the County to take over ECAT and ECCT services!
The membership took a vote of no confidence of First Transit Corporate. Again, it passed unanimously! Time for change!
Respectfully,
Michael A. Lowery
President / Business Agent
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1395