Will Outsourced Transportation Impact Mamaroneck Students?
A representative of Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) Westchester Local 860 spoke out against the district's proposal to outsource transportation services.
UPDATE: The district currently employs 27 full and part-time bus drivers with total transportation expenditures totaling $3.9 million for the 2010-11 school year, of which approximately $2.3 million was spent on personnel costs and $1.6 million on contracted transportation. A total of 687 students were transported.
The school is in the second year of a five-year transportation contract with Ardsley Bus Company. For more information, please visit the school's website here.
"Any changes that the district would make would be consistent with its legal responsibilities and in accordance with all laws around collective bargaining," said District Spokesperson Debbie Manetta, about the proposed outsourcing.
"It’s difficult at this point to talk about the impact of the changes, when nothing yet has been decided," she said.
In the wake of a two percent tax cap—which would primarily impact school districts by restricting the amount by which property taxes can be raised to fund expenses—many school districts are looking to squeeze every dollar they can out of thinly stretched budgets. At a December study session, the Mamaroneck School Board proposed several cost saving measures, one of which would outsource all transportation services—resulting in a projected savings of approximately $10.1 million over the next decade.
Savings in the first year of implementation would be approximately $875,000, said District Spokesperson Debbie Manetta, with savings jumping up to $1.15 million in year 10. Another measure that was considered by the board at the study session was utilizing public carriers to transport private school students who reside within the district based on several factors including travel times to and from school, distance from pick up/drop off, arrival time before school and grade levels (limited to grades 6-12).
The discussion was based on a transportation study conducted in 2011 that concluded, in part, that outsourcing, although it could potentially save the district around 13 percent in expenses, was not recommended as a cost savings measure unless the savings significantly exceeded 10 percent.
Representing Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) Westchester Local 860—a union that represents 14,000 municipal employees—President John Staino spoke out against the district’s proposal at Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting.
“I am very distressed to hear this district is considering outsourcing its transportation department,” he said, continuing, “We’ve encountered privatization and here’s what we’ve seen. Companies find out lowballing bids get the first contract. After that initial contract, costs shoot up.”
Further, he said, transportation jobs are some of the lowest paid in the district and outsourcing will only lead to higher turnover when drivers are paid less and, therefore, feel less loyalty to their jobs.
“Being a private company means that the transportation operations become profit centers,” he said.
Another one of the potential outcomes that Staino was concerned about were a change in bus routes resulting in longer bus rides.
“Does that mean that a private company will be putting a junior high school student with a kindergarten student just to save a few pennies,” he asked rhetorically.
The matter will be discussed further at a Board Study Session on Mar. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Mamaroneck High School Library.
JS
9:48 am on Thursday, January 19, 2012
Sounds to me like typical Union protection rhetoric....
-He doesn't address the high cost of maintaining an aging system where there is several million dollars of exposure.
-He doesn't address the cost of maintaining the fixed overheads of garages and idle maintenance personnel.
-He doesn't talk to the reality that no child in the district going to an in-district school currently spends a significant amount of time on the bus.
-He doesn't come to the table with a cost savings alternative to outsourcing.
If the unions are serious about sustainability and not just about job protection, then why do they not present to the public their ways of reducing expense?
The CSEA has access to a large population and they should be using that population to figure out ways that they can both protect jobs and reduce costs, not just trying to fear-monger to meet their own agenda.
The private sector has a motivation to keep expenses down through synergies and scale. The market has the incentive to keep prices competitive. The public sector has no motivation other than the fear of outsourcing to help reduce cost.
LMF
12:17 pm on Thursday, January 26, 2012
To JS...As a lifelong Mam'k resident ( and property owner ) involved in Transportation all my life (trucking ) I did a little research on this issue. Union rhetoric aside, the numbers thrown up by the school administration seem inflated. The cost-saving is far outweighed by the loss of control. Just last week, one of the river towns, Irvington, I believe, in a similar situation, voted against fully outsourcing their busing. They also contract out about half their work, just like Mamaroneck. Otherwise, you can't fully control what goes on, who gets hired, quality of the equipment,etc..., not to mention what happens when the contractor can't supply drivers/buses on snow days/emergencies. Ask people in Greenburgh... they contracted out 10 years ago and still struggle with cost/bids and changed companies again last year. The Mam'k District fleet has a reputation for having employees with 10,20, and 30+ years on the job...why lose that? Remember, it's about the kids! The CSEA 5-yr. contract which was just ratified 6 months ago, addresses very well increaed costs by having the employee contributions for benefits increase every year. Anyway, the dept. involved is mostly all part-timers and salaries/pensions are not the issue. They are just easy targets. Hey,JS.. if you're into union-busting...go for it! Leaves a bad taste in my mouth....
Nancy
1:23 pm on Thursday, January 26, 2012
The consulting study performed for Mamaroneck confirms the assertions by the CSEA: the rates for contracting out transportation would increase if 100% of the service is outsourced and the net savings would shrink to $100,000 per year (2% per year), but before taking into account the replacement costs for buses (up to $2 million over ten years). This is far less than the headline savings touted by the school spokesperson.
Apart from the issue of cost savings, it would be useful to know whether there is a quality difference between outsourced and in-house transportation. Anyone know?
LMF
1:32 pm on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Absolutely...in-house drivers are District employees...have access to District resources and training and are bound by District rules! Outsourcing, you never know who the driver will be , there is tremendous turnover in the industry ( a low-bid industry !) even the consultant acknowledged that. Last weeks emergency dismissal at MHS necessitated having vehicles (wheelchair) on site ASAP...logistically, a contractor would never be able to do that.
JS
1:42 pm on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Let me remind you of...
Mamaroneck Schools Suspend Bus Driver Accused of Molestation
Judy Silberstein, posted on June 3, 2010
A Mamaroneck School District bus driver was arrested by Mamaroneck Village police on Thursday, May 27 and charged with “sexual conduct against a child in the first degree,” a class B felony. According to the police, Jorge D. Hernandez, 49, of Union Avenue in Mamaroneck Village, engaged in at least two sexual acts with a girl younger than 11 from March of 1998 through 2001....
LMF
9:18 pm on Thursday, January 26, 2012
JS... hate to burst your "negative bubble" BUT..Jorge was acquitted ! Set-up by a very vindictive ex-wife. Unfortunately, because of the shame and embarrasment he suffered, this hard-working single father removed his son from the Hommocks and left the state. Didn't your father ever teach you not to believe everything you read? Appears you have a lot of time to spread negativity...not what's needed here. Need a job?...wanna wash trucks ?
JS
10:30 pm on Thursday, January 26, 2012
If in fact what you say is true, I would apologize to Mr. Hernandez, but the public record indicates something different. I researched before posting and found nothing about an acquittal, in fact according to the public records he was indicted, sentenced and an order of protection issued:
Plaintiff: PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
Index No: DA00671-10
Defendant: HERNANDEZ JORGE
Add. Info: 50B
Index No File Date File Code Description Comments
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DA00671-10 2010/08/30 00 INDEX NUMBER APPLICATION
DA00671-10 2010/08/30 31 INDICTMENT
DA00671-10 2011/01/14 78 SENTENCE & COMMITMENT 01/10/11
DA00671-10 2011/01/14 82 ORDER OF PROTECTION CACACE
DA00671-10 2011/01/14 65 CONSENT ORDER CACACE
I can only go by the information that is available please show evidence to the contrary.