Union says SEAT drivers denied bathroom breaks, just hold it SEAT bus drivers say management does not provide them with time to take bathroom breaks or with adequate lavatory facilities. SEAT bus drivers say management does not provide them with time to take bathroom breaks or with adequate lavatory facilities. PRESTON — Drivers for the Southeast Area Transit District are at odds with SEAT management over bathroom breaks. The bus drivers say theyve been denied both time for bathroom breaks and access to safe and clean restroom facilities on their routes. Jaroslaw Pizunski, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1209, tried to present a petition of almost 600 signatures of bus riders to the SEAT board of directors at its regular meeting Wednesday, but was rejected. They wouldnt let me speak. They said it was a labor-management issue, Pizunski said. The petition asks SEAT management to provide restroom facilities on all routes and adequate time on the clock to use them during every shift. Pizunski said drivers currently have to find businesses that are willing to let the SEAT buses park for several minutes and let the driver use their facilities. Or, they just have to hold it, he said. I have drivers asking me, is it okay to wear a diaper to work, he said. The drivers can use a restroom in a small indoor kiosk at the Norwich Transportation Center, but it only is available and open at limited times, they said. The employees say theyve repeatedly asked SEAT management to make arrangements for the facility to be available at all times for the drivers to use. Drivers are on the road from 5:30 a.m. to 11:15 p.m. We also operate seven days a week, Pizunski said. SEAT leases part of the center from Norwich for its operation. Restrooms are available there from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and some hours on Saturday, but not Sunday. Employees have asked SEAT management to reach out to local businesses to see if they would be willing to accommodate the drivers, and to give the drivers a list of friendly places they can go. Were still waiting for these things to happen, Pizunski said. Weve been asking for years. The transportation centers been open for two years, and still nothing. SEAT General Manager Michael J. Carroll said the organization is working with Norwich officials to provide private, full-time access to facilities at the transit center. Were on the cusp of doing it, he said. Carroll estimated that after-hours access would be available by mid-July. There is a portable toilet on site, but its not OSHA compliant because it has no running water, Carroll said. He also said there are places along the routes where drivers can take a break, such as at fast food restaurants and retailers. SEAT has been around for 30 years, he said. Im pretty sure drivers havent been holding it for 30 years. You find places to go. Carroll said hes aware of the frustration and drivers are allowed to make minor deviations from their routes to take bathroom breaks. But Pizunski said those types of deviations put the bus behind schedule, angering the paying customers. Stacy Zujus, a dispatcher for 10 years, said the issue has always been a problem, and one that gets worse with the addition of new routes. Adding more routes makes it harder to stop at businesses to go to the bathroom, she said. Pizunski said hes considering sending the complaint to the state Department of Transportation commissioner and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. All we get from SEAT is lip service, he said. We are just asking that our drivers have the same thing that all other workers have available during their work schedule. The board took no action on the matter Wednesday. Its not the boards practice to get involved between labor and management, Chairman Paul Altman said. We support our general manager, whos doing a heck of a job.
Posted on: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 15:37:09 +0000
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