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Teamsters Cry Foul Play in Bus Bidding by Local School District

Posted on: Tuesday, 21 April 2009, 15:13 CDT

FARMINGDALE, N.Y., April 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A formal complaint has been filed with the NYS Education Department against South Country Central School District (SCCSD), located in East Patchogue, by Teamsters Local 1205. The complaint spells out questionable bidding practices by SCCSD and its School Board.

In short, as a result of questionable bidding practices, a contract was awarded to Montauk Bus Services (MBS), a private School Bus Company. This was done even though BOCES, a non-profit agency of the State of NY, proved it could continue to provide the service to the district at a lower cost than the Montauk Bus bid price. Despite this, the district, shockingly, proceeded to "award" additional non-bid work to MBS even though that work was already contracted to another School Bus Company! It gets even worse: The bid specifications for the work MBS was granted states that the contractor is supposed to supply the fuel for its vehicles, but the records show that the district provided the fuel directly to MBS.

Just last month the district also awarded another transportation contract -- valued at more than 17 million dollars -- to a newly formed affiliate of the favored Montauk Bus Services -- "Montauk Bus Transportation" (MBT) -- even though the incumbent bus company, First Student, clearly showed it could continue to provide the service at lower rates than those bid by MBT! More Taxpayer waste!

TEAMSTERS LOCAL 1205 WILL BE HOLDING A PROTEST RALLY

Where? In front of SCCSD administration building, located at 189 Dunton Ave., East Patchogue, NY

When? Wednesday, April 22 at 10:30 AM

Local 1205 represents 350 First Student bus company employees in Suffolk County who transport about 20,000 students every single school day. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has 1.4 million members, nearly 100,000 of whom are bus and transit employees.

SOURCE Teamsters Local Union 1205, Farmingdale, NY

Source: PR Newswire

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