Arbitration Vote

at

February Regular Business Meeting!

_____________________________

ATU Local 1395 ECAT membership will be voting on a possible arbitration at the February Regular Business Meeting.  Former ECAT bus operator Tricia Dubose, formly known as Tricia Thomas was terminated in late December, 2007 by ECAT General Manager Travis Lakin.  Sister Dubose had the Union file a grievance for her and it has gone through the steps outlined in the grievance procedure under the labor agreement.  Travis Lakin has denied the two steps.  Sister Dubose contacted Union President Mike Lowery and has requested an arbitration vote on her case.

Please watch the Union boards and this site for the notice of the vote and the date of the meeting.  Sister Tricia Dubose is a 9 year ECAT bus operator and terminated for being on workers compensation and the company charged FMLA inconjuction with her workers compensation as allowed under law.  Ms. Dubose did not have any other leave available to her at the time of her termination. 

Union President Mike Lowery filed a grievance on the grounds that this was not a practice known to the employees of charging FMLA inconjuction with Workers Compensation.  Lowery states, "This was news to me, I know the law, but ECAT had not followed it since the provision under FMLA had been established".

Also terminated was long time bus operator Linda Donaldson.  Linda who was a member of Local 1395 for years until about 5 years ago when she got out of the Union for opposing Union President Mike Lowery expanding the Local Union and forced overtime. Linda was terminated for the same issue by General Manager Travis Lakin.  Linda has not asked for an arbitration vote as of February 1st, 2008.