##VIDEO ID:iNCh99VKYCY##  FOR THE RECORD MY NAME IS BRIAN. WE'RE OUT DISTRICT FOR CITY COUNCILOR AND I AM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD THE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS. TODAY IS JANUARY 13, 2025.  UH, THIS HEARING OF IT IS 10:05 A.M.. THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED. IT IS ALSO BEING LIVESTREAMED AT BOSTON.COM.  IT'S BACK GLASS CITY COUNCIL CITY DESK COUNCIL DASH TV AND BROADCAST ON EXPANDED CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 FILES 1009 964 WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT C CC TO W M AT BOSTON DOT GOV IT WILL BE MADE PART OF THE RECORD AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP AND HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY IF YOU ARE INTERESTED AND IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER. IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY PLEASE EMAIL OUR CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON LIAISON CHRIS CHARISMA CHAUHAN K A R I S H M A DOT CH0UH AND AT BOSTON.COM FOR THE LINK YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET NUMBER 0112. MESSAGE IN ORDER FOR YOUR APPROVAL IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE FBI 25 APPROPRIATION FOR THE RESERVE FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BY $6,637,487 TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THE FY 25 IMPACT OF INCREASES CONTAINED WITHIN THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TRANSDEV AND ITS BUS DRIVERS.  DOCKET NUMBER 0113. MESSAGE IN ORDER FOR A SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION ORDER FOR THE FY 25 APPROPRIATION FOR THE RESERVE FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BY 6,637,487 $86 TO COVER THE IMPACT THAT FY 25 COSTS ITEMS ARE CONTAINED WITHIN THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT BETWEEN TRANSDEV AND HIS BUS DRIVERS ON THE CITY'S TRANSPORTATION CONTRACT WITH THE VENDOR WITH THE VENDOR TRANSDEV.  THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT THE JULY 1ST 2024 THROUGH JULY 30TH 2028. THE MAJOR PROVISIONS OF THE CONTRACT INCLUDE A MARKET RATE ADJUSTMENT, AN INCREASE FOR REGULAR WAGES, AN INCREASE IN MINIMUM WEEKLY HOURS FROM 31 TO 35 DOCKET NUMBERS 0114 MESSAGE IN ORDER FOR YOUR APPROVAL IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE FBI 25 APPROPRIATION FOR THE RESERVE FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BY 421 $21,318 TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING. THE 25 INCREASES CONTAINED WITHIN THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND FCI LOCAL THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING DOCKET NUMBER 0115 MESSAGE IN ORDER FOR A SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING FOR FY 25. THE AMOUNT OF $421,318 TO COVER THE FY 25 COSTS CONTAINED WITHIN THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND FCI SEIU LOCAL 888 MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING.  THE TERMS OF THE CONTRACT BY TOBER FIRST 2023 THROUGH THE SEPTEMBER 30TH 2027 THE MAJOR PROVISIONS OF THE CONTRACTS INCLUDE BASE WAGES INCREASES OF TWO 2% TO BE GIVEN IN JANUARY OF EACH FISCAL YEAR OF THE CONTRACT TERM AND A FLAT AMOUNT OF $250 $500, $900 AND $800 TO BE ADDED TO ANNUAL SALARIES IN JANUARY OF EACH FISCAL YEAR.  THESE MATTERS WAS SPONSORED BY MAYOR MICHELLE WU AND REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON JANUARY EIGHT, 2025. TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES IN ORDER TO RIVAL COUNCIL OF COUNCIL MURPHY COUNCILOR FLYNN. COUNCILOR COLLETTE IS A PARTNER IN COUNCIL WEBER.  WE'VE ALSO RECEIVED LETTERS OF ABSENCE FROM VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE COUNCILOR PEPEN AND THE COUNCIL CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT . COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE OH NOW LIKE TO INTRODUCE TODAY'S PANELIST. WE HAVE THE BUDGET DIRECTOR.  DIRECTOR WILLIAMSON FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON. DIRECTOR OF SENIOR ADVISOR LABOR FROM THE OFFICE OF LABOR RELATIONS. SENIOR ADVISOR AMANDA RINI. AND EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION. BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ROSENGARD. IT FOR IS NOW YOURS. THANK YOU CHAIR WE'RE ALL AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. AS YOU NOTED MY NAME IS JIM WILLIAMS AND I'M THE BUDGET TRY TO GET TO SEE BOSTON MYSELF AND MY COLLEAGUES APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TWO UNION CONTRACTS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE CITY'S BUDGET.  WE'RE HERE TO ADDRESS. I'M HERE TO ADDRESS THE FOUR APPROPRIATION ORDERS BEFORE YOU. AND THE TRANSACTIONS THAT THEY REPRESENT IN MY COLLEAGUES ARE READY TO ADDRESS THE SPECIFIC TERMS OF THE OPERATIONS AND ALL THE THE CONTRACTS THEMSELVES. THE FIRST SET OF DOCKETS INCREASES THE BUDGET BY $6.6 BILLION AND REDUCES THE CENTRAL COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RESERVE BY AN EQUAL AMOUNT TO SUPPORT THE BUS DRIVERS CONTRACT WITHIN THE TRANSIT OF CONTRACT TYPES. IN THE SECOND SET OF DOCKETS FOR $421,000 INCREASES TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING'S BUDGET FOR THE WAGE INCREASES IN CORRESPONDINGLY DECREASED INCREASES THE CENTRAL HAVE SAID COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RESERVED BY THE SAME AMOUNT TO THE FBI 25 BUDGET WHEN FINALIZED IN JUNE OF 2024 INCLUDED $96.8 MILLION IN AGGREGATE TO COVER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RESERVES.  THERE HAVE BEEN 13 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL SO FAR THIS YEAR TOTALING 6.7 MILLION AND WITH THIS REDUCTION OF $7 MILLION FOR THESE TWO UNIONS, THE NEW BALANCE FOR THE COLLECTIVE BY RESERVE WILL BE $83.1 MILLION. WITH THAT I WILL TURN IT OVER TO TO ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES TO ATTENTION.  THANK YOU, DIRECTOR. THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS.  JUST A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE TERMS OF THE CONTRACT BETWEEN TRANSDEV AND THE UNITED STEELWORKERS LOCAL 8751 THE US W LOCAL 8751 REPRESENTS ABOUT 888 BOSTON SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS AND THESE EMPLOYEES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING YELLOW BUS TRANSPORTATION TO 22,000 BOSTON STUDENTS ON A DAILY BASIS IN THEIR ROLE AS THE CURRENT BUS VENDOR FOR BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. TRANSDEV EMPLOYS THE SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS AND TRANSDEV AND THE BUS DRIVERS UNION RECENTLY REACHED AGREEMENT ON A SUCCESSOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT WHICH THE UNION RATIFIED ON NOVEMBER 15TH OF LAST YEAR.  UNDER THE CONTRACT BETWEEN DPS AND TRANSIT OF TRANSDEV IS REIMBURSED FOR ALL UNIONIZED PERSONNEL WAGES AND FRINGE BENEFIT COSTS AS WELL AS PAYROLL TAXES AS APPROVED BY THE CITY.  AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY REQUESTING THE $6.6 MILLION SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION FOR FY 25 TO SUPPORT THE COST OF THIS CONTRACT.  I'LL JUST BRIEFLY GO THROUGH SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MOA BETWEEN TRAN SEVEN THE BUS DRIVERS UNION.  FIRST AS COUNCILOR WU NOTED IT'S A FOUR YEAR SUCCESSOR CBA WHICH WILL BE IN EFFECT FROM JULY 1ST OF 2024 THROUGH JUNE 30TH OF 2028. THE KEY COMPONENTS OF THE AGREEMENT FIRST IS A WAGE MARKET ADJUSTMENT TO YOU KNOW SO IN YEAR ONE THERE IS A MARKET ADJUSTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BUS DRIVERS ARE AT MARKET RATE BRINGS THEIR HOURLY WAGE UP TO $33 PER HOUR IN YEAR ONE FROM $29.13 AN HOUR. YOU KNOW PREVIOUSLY THEN IN YEAR TWO THAT INCREASES TO $34 AN HOUR YOU'RE 3 TO $35 AN HOUR AND YOU'RE 4 TO $35.38 PER HOUR. THERE'S ALSO A REDUCTION IN THE YEARS OF SERVICE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT FOR RETIREMENT BENEFITS FROM 30 YEARS OF SERVICE TO 25 YEARS OF SERVICE AND THE RETIREMENT SEVERANCE IS INCREASED BY $100 PER YEAR OF SERVICE FOR DURING EACH YEAR OF THE CONTRACT. SO INCREASING TO 1200 DOLLARS PER YEAR OF SERVICE AT YEAR ONE EFFECTIVE JULY 1ST 2024 THAT INCREASES $100 PER YEAR TO 1500 DOLLARS PER YEAR OF SERVICE BY YEAR FOUR OF THE CONTRACT. AND THEN LASTLY THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM WEEKLY HOURS THAT BUS DRIVERS RECEIVES INCREASED FROM 31 HOURS PER WEEK TO 35 HOURS PER WEEK EFFECTIVE JULY 1ST, 2025.  AND THAT'S EFFECTIVE UPON ADOPTION BY PARTIES OF LANGUAGE AROUND WORK AS DIRECTED WITH WORK PROTECTIONS AND THAT WORK IS DIRECTED WAS THE KEY OPERATIONAL REFORM FOR TRANSDEV AND DPS THROUGH THIS CONTRACT AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE EXISTING PROVISIONS OF THE DRIVERS CBA AROUND AND STAND BY DRIVERS AND AND WORK ASSIGNMENT THAT THE ADDITION OF WORK AS DIRECTED LANGUAGE IS ANTICIPATED TO IMPROVE OUR ABILITY AND TRANSIT VISIBILITY TO COVER ATHLETICS TRIPS, FIELD TRIPS AND OTHER TRANSPORTATION ACTIVITIES. IN CASES WHEN WE ARE OTHERWISE NOT ABLE TO COVER THOSE TRIPS THROUGH THE EXISTING DRIVER BIDDING ASSIGNMENT PROCESSES.  SO THAT'S THE SUMMARY OF THE CONTRACT.  AND LOU, NOT SURE IF YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING OTHERWISE WE HAVE TO TAKE QUESTIONS. YEAH. THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS SOMEBODY WHO HELPED DRIVE THESE NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.  I'LL JUST CONFINE MYSELF TO QUESTIONS ABOUT BARGAINING OR STRATEGY OR THE THINGS WE TRIED TO ACHIEVE IN THIS NEGOTIATION AND WAIT FOR QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCILORS. THANKS. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS CONTRACT. NOW TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES AND ORDER ARRIVAL FOR QUESTIONS. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT COUNCILOR FITZGERALD HAS ALSO JOINED US. COUNCILOR MURPHY, THE FLOOR IS NOW YOURS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.  THE PANEL IS HERE EXPLAINING THESE TWO CONTRACTS. A FEW QUESTIONS ON THE SEIU MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING. IT'S A SMALL AMOUNT BUT COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THE CLOTHING ALLOWANCES AND DOES EVERY CITY MEAN AND GET CLOTHING ALONG WITH. SORRY, WE HAVE A DIFFERENT CAST OF CHARACTERS FOR THE SEIU CONTRACT. I THOUGHT WE WERE DOING THE PLUS ONE FIRST AND I THINK WE SPOKE ON. YEAH.  DO YOU WANT IT? WE WERE GOING TO YEAH SO WE'LL JUST DO THE BUS ONE NOW. OKAY OKAY I'LL GO TO MY OTHER QUESTIONS THEN.  SO DAN I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE RECENT SCHOOL COMMITTEE HEARINGS CAME UP THAT WE WERE INCREASING THE OVERALL TRANSPORTATION BUDGET FROM LIKE AROUND 173 MILLION TO OVER 880 MILLION. AND IS THAT ALL THIS INCREASE IN THE CONTRACT OR IS THERE OTHER FUNDS THAT INCLUDED THE INCREASE? SO THIS REQUEST WOULD BE SUPPLEMENTAL TO ANYTHING THAT WE'VE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT PREVIOUSLY FOR POINT 25. SO WE'RE ASKING FOR OVER 180 MILLION PRIOR TO THIS NEED. IF THIS PASSES WE'LL NEED TO GO UP TO ABOUT 187.  I CAN DOUBLE CHECK WHAT THE EXACT FY 2010 BUDGET IS. THAT ISN'T THE AMOUNT EVEN THOUGH IT'S A SIMILAR AMOUNT THAT'S NOT WHY YOU WERE REQUESTING 7 MILLION MORE 8 MILLION MORE FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL.  YOU AND I CAN DOUBLE CHECK THESE NUMBERS AFTERWARDS BUT I BELIEVE THE TRANSPORTATION BUDGET RIGHT NOW FOR FY 25 IS ABOUT $176 MILLION AND THIS WOULD BE REQUESTING AN ADDITIONAL 1.6 WHICH YOU HAVEN'T REQUESTED YET YOU WENT THROUGH AND THANK YOU FOR POINTING OUT SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS IN THE NEW CONTRACT. IF YOU COULD JUST MAYBE HIGHLIGHT THE DIFFERENCES AND WHY OR I WOULD ASSUME WE HOPE THAT WITH A BETTER CONTRACT WE'RE GOING TO GET BETTER SERVICE. AND IF YOU COULD HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE HOPES YOU HAVE THAT IN THE BUS CONCERNS WE HAVE AND IF ANY OF THEM ARE ATTACHED TO ATHLETIC BUSSES. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. SO I THINK YOU KNOW FIRSTLY ONE THING I WOULD MENTION IS IT WAS A BIG BENEFIT FOR US TO GET A FOUR YEAR CBA. THIS GIVES US ADDITIONAL STABILITY YOU KNOW AS WE'RE WORKING TO IMPLEMENT A LOT OF OTHER REFORMS ACROSS THE TRANSPORTATION OPERATION YOU KNOW KIND OF GUIDED BY THAT COUNCIL OF GREAT CITY SCHOOLS REPORT THAT WE GOT TWO YEARS AGO. SO WE CAN FOCUS ON THOSE AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE STABILITY IN OUR WORKFORCE. THE MARKET WAGE ADJUSTMENT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN RETAIN AND ATTRACT DRIVERS. WE HAD FALLEN A LITTLE BIT BEHIND THE MARKET IN TERMS OF THE SURROUNDING SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND MAYBE EVEN MORE THAN A LITTLE BIT AND THIS BRINGS US UP TO PAR THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN HAVE GOOD WORKFORCE STABILITY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING OUR BUS DRIVERS WITH A STRONG LIVING WAGE.  AND THEN LASTLY SPECIFIC TO ATHLETICS WHICH IS YOU KNOW I KNOW IT HAS BEEN A FOCUS FOR US AS WELL WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PARTICULAR CHALLENGE AREA LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR SO FAR FOR OUR STUDENT ATHLETES IS YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO THINK ABOUT HOW CAN WE CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES AND WAYS TO TO MAKE SURE WE CAN COVER THOSE TRIPS. AND SO THE INTRODUCTION OF WORK AS DIRECTED TO THE CONTRACT,  YOU KNOW, WE ANTICIPATE USING THAT AND THAT'S GOING TO ALLOW US TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE US ANOTHER AVENUE TO COVER ATHLETICS TRIPS AND FIELD TRIPS THAT CURRENTLY DON'T GET COVERED THROUGH THE EXISTING DRIVER BIDDING ASSIGNMENT PROCESSES.  OKAY. THANK YOU.  I WILL WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE. COUNCILOR WHERE I. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNSELOR FLYNN, THE FLOOR IS NOW YOURS, JIM. I THINK I ASKED THE SAME QUESTION EVERY YEAR CONSISTENTLY FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. 2%. IS THAT THE BEST WE CAN DO? YEAH. THIS THIS WAGE PATTERN, YOU KNOW, IS IS THIS AGREEMENT THAT'S BEEN SETTLED BY BOTH PARTIES?  NO, I UNDERSTAND IT'S BEEN SETTLED, BUT IS THAT IS THAT THE BEST WE CAN DO?  YEAH THAT WAS THAT'S WHAT THAT'S WHAT'S BEING DONE AND AGREED TO SO. RIGHT. NO THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN AGREED TO. AND IS THAT THE BEST WE CAN DO? I BELIEVE THAT IS WHAT YOU KNOW WHAT WHAT THE BEST PLAN IS AT THIS POINT IT GOES TO THE UNIONS PUSH MORE FOR MORE THAN 2%. MY CONCERN IF I MAY. THE SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS UNION IS ACTUALLY MORE THAN 2%. OKAY.  THEN I HAVE THEN I HAVE SOMETHING RIGHT HERE THAT IT SAYS.  IT SAYS 2% MAYBE. I THINK YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS SEIU MEMO EACH ONE. YEAH. THERE'S ANOTHER CONTRACTUAL WE HAVE A SUMMER ACTUALLY IT WAS AN EXTRA ONE IF YOU WANT TO GET A SUMMARY SHEET FOR THE SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS. THAT'S HELPFUL.  WELL CAN I CAN WHAT CAN I STICK WITH THE BUS DRIVERS?  YOU CAN SIT WITH THE BUS DRIVER. SURE. ALL RIGHT.  2%. THAT'S THE BEST WE CAN DO, JIM, RIGHT? YEAH, I THINK IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED SO SOME OF THE OTHER APPROACHES TO COMPENSATION INCLUDE FLAT AMOUNTS THAT ACTUALLY TRANSLATES TO MORE THAN 2%. SO THE GENERAL WAGES 2%. BUT DID THE UNIONS PUSH FOR MORE THAN 2%?  SO IF I MAY THAT THE BUS DRIVERS RECEIVED A FLAT MARKET WAGE ADJUSTMENT THERE.  WAGES IN YEAR ONE OF THE CONTRACT INCREASED FROM 2913 AN HOUR TO $33 AN HOUR. SO IT WAS A FLAT ADJUSTMENT NOT A PERCENTAGE ADJUSTMENT BUT IT DOES TRANSLATE TO MORE THAN 2% 2% DO THEY? THEY AGREED ON THAT 2%. SO IT WAS A FLAT ADJUSTMENT. DO THEY AGREE ON THAT FLAT ADJUSTMENT? YES.  OKAY. THAT'S THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING.  WAS THERE ANY DISCUSSION DURING THE CONTRACT ABOUT RESIDENCY WAIVERS?  THE BUS DRIVERS ARE EMPLOYEES OF TRANSDEV AND SO THERE'S NO RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT FOR THE BUS DRIVERS.  WHAT ABOUT FOR THE OTHER CONTRACT?  JIM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING, I BELIEVE. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY ADJUSTMENTS FOR RESIDENTS. NO ADJUSTMENTS. OKAY.  IS THERE ANY SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THAT SUPPORTS VETERANS THAT MIGHT BE EMPLOYED HERE?  I KNOW.  HAS THAT ISSUE EVER COME UP?  NO, NOT NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE. NOT THE SCHOOL BUS NEGOTIATIONS . IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WELCOME OR HIRE RETURNING VETERANS AS SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS OR TO GET THEM TRAINED AS SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS?  ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE. HAVE YOU DONE THAT?  I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY. HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO ANY VETERANS LETTING THEM KNOW ABOUT THIS POSSIBILITY?  I KNOW AND ONE THING I WOULD ADD IS THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT DPS EMPLOYEES, BP'S DOES NOT DO THE RECRUITMENT AND HIRING OF SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS.  WITH THIS WITH THIS INCREASE FOR SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS, ARE WE GUARANTEEING NOW THAT STUDENT ATHLETES WILL GET TO WILL BE DRIVEN TO THEIR PRACTICE IN GAMES CONSISTENTLY ON TIME GOING FORWARD.  AND YOU KNOW WHEN WHEN IT COMES TO AN OPERATION THAT'S COMPLEX I WOULD NEVER MAKE GUARANTEES BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THAT WAS THE PRIMARY ISSUE THAT THAT WE WERE SEEKING TO IMPROVE THROUGH THE OPERATIONAL REFORM WITH THE WORK AS DIRECTED. THAT'S AN ISSUE I FOCUSED ON WITH COUNCILOR MURPHY FOR YEARS IS SUPPORTING STUDENT ATHLETES GETTING TO THEIR PARTICULAR FIELD STADIUM FOR PRACTICE OR FOR GAMES. SO YOU'RE ARE CONFIDENT NOW THAT ALL STUDENT ATHLETES ARE GOING TO ARRIVE ON TIME IN MAY AND BE PICKED UP AND DROPPED OFF TO THE GAMES AND PRACTICES SO WE ARE CONFIDENT ABOUT THAT. I THINK THE THE OPERATIONAL REFORM AROUND WORK IS DIRECTED IMPROVES OUR ABILITY TO DO THAT AND AND I BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO HELP US.  NO MORE ISSUES THEN. LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW I'D BE HESITANT TO MAKE ANY GUARANTEES BUT NO I DON'T NEED GUARANTEES BUT I NEED A COMMITMENT THAT OUR STUDENT ATHLETES ARE GOING TO BE AT THEIR GAME ARE GOING TO BE PICKED UP AND DROPPED OFF OF THEIR PRACTICES. THAT'S THE GUARANTEE THEY NEED NOW THAT THAT IS OUR GOAL AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO KEEPING ON YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON THAT.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNSELOR COLETTA, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR WORK. THIS IS FOR FOR DAN.  THANK YOU FOR OUR RECENT CONVERSATION DAN WITH YOU AND CARLA TANKEL SEEING SOME OF THE ISSUES FOR THE BBC ATHLETIC BUSSES, BOTH THE STATE SENATOR WELL THE STATE SENATOR STATE REP AND MYSELF ABC BOSTON JUST RECENTLY PUT OUT A STATEMENT BECAUSE IT HAS GOTTEN SO BAD WITH EAST BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL KIDS NOT RECEIVING THE BUSSES THAT THEY NEED TO TO GET FROM A GAME TO TO EAST BOSTON AND WE HAVE A SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS, RIGHT? WE'RE AN ISLAND WE'RE USUALLY A BRIDGE IN A TUNNEL TOO FAR AND I KNOW THAT THE VARIOUS DISTRICT COUNCILORS WILL ADVOCATE FOR THEIR DISTRICTS AS THEY SHOULD IS BOSTON SHOULD GET THOSE THOSE CONSIDERATIONS I BELIEVE AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT THOSE KIDS I KEEP CALLING THEM KIDS BUT THEY'RE ALSO YOUNG ADULTS THOSE KIDS AND YOUNG ADULTS RECEIVE THE TRANSPORTATION THAT THEY DESERVE AND I SPEAK ON THIS BECAUSE I REMEMBER IN HIGH SCHOOL NOT HAVING TRANSPORTATION FROM PLACE TED PARK TO EAST BOSTON. SO MY SOFTBALL COACH HAD TO DRIVE ME TO THE TRAIN AND I TOOK THE TRAIN AND GRANTED I KNOW THAT THIS COMPLEX SYSTEM IS VERY NUANCED AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ANY SORT OF GUARANTEES.  I AM HOPEFUL THAT THESE OPERATIONAL REFORMS WILL HELP TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING IN BOSTON AND IN CHARLESTOWN. YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT THE MINIMUMS ARE GOING FROM 25 HOURS TO 35 HOURS. DID I GET THAT RIGHT? I JUST WANTED TO FROM 31 HOURS PER WEEK TO 35 HOURS PER WEEK 31 TO 35. OKAY. AND THAT KICKS IN IN JULY. THAT KICKS IN ON JULY 1ST OF THIS YEAR UPON ADOPTION OF LANGUAGE AROUND WORK AS DIRECTED BY THE PARTIES. WHAT IS THE PLAN IN THE INTERIM THEN UNTIL JULY?  YEAH SO WE ARE EXCUSE ME WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE ATHLETICS AND STUDENT SUPPORT TEAMS WITHIN DPS AND YOU KNOW, PRIORITIZING ATHLETICS TRANSPORTATION THIS YEAR THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT STRATEGIES WE'RE PURSUING YOU KNOW INCLUDES LOOKING AT THE OVERALL YOU KNOW, OVERALL ATHLETICS, TRANSPORTATION SCHEDULE AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU KNOW, THAT LINES UP WITH OUR OPERATING IN ALL CAPACITIES. IT INCLUDES LOOKING AT ALL AVAILABLE OPTIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION, YOU KNOW, INCLUDING YOU KNOW, IN SOME CASES WHEN WHEN TEAMS COULD GET SOMEWHERE JUST AS QUICKLY ON THE META AS A YELLOW BUS, YOU KNOW, ASKING SOME TEAMS TO DO THAT WHICH ALLOWS US TO PRIORITIZE YELLOW BUSSES FOR,  YOU KNOW, CASES WHERE THAT IS NOT A GOOD OPTION FOR TEAMS.  SO YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE A TEAM TRYING TO GET FROM EAST BOSTON TO YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE THAT MIGHT TAKE MULTIPLE T YOU KNOW BUSSES AND AND TRANSFERS WHERE THAT WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE. SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT YOU KNOW, ALL DIFFERENT POSSIBLE OPTIONS AND AVENUES RIGHT NOW. OKAY.  CAN SOMEBODY FROM AND THANK YOU FOR THAT I APPRECIATE THAT RESPONSE YEAH HEARING THAT YOU KNOW THERE'S A CONSIDERATION OF SENDING THEM ON THE MTA. I HAVE NEVER PLAYED HOCKEY BUT LUGGING A HOCKEY BAG AROUND ON THE ORANGE LINE ON THE BOARD IS NOT IDEAL EITHER IS LUGGING AROUND A BASEBALL BAT AND CLEATS AND SO ANY WAY THAT YOU CAN AVOID THAT WOULD BE WOULD BE PREFERABLE. NO, THAT'S THAT'S A GREAT POINT. I SHOULD HAVE YOU KNOW SHOULD HAVE MADE SURE TO CLARIFY THAT AND YOU KNOW, THAT IS KIND OF THE TEAM AND THE EQUIPMENT THAT COMES WITH IT IS IS ONE CONSIDERATION ALWAYS WHEN THINKING ABOUT WHAT TRIPS COULD MAKE SENSE YOU KNOW MBTA VERSUS YELLOW BUS SO REALLY IT'S JUST ABOUT PRIORITIZING OUR RESOURCES, YOU KNOW WHERE THEY MAKE THE MOST SENSE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN MAXIMIZE TRANSPORTATION FOR ALL OUR STUDENT ATHLETES ACROSS ALL THE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS THAT THE CITY PROVIDES.  THANK YOU. THAT'S IT FOR MY QUESTIONS. I'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP YOU ON SPEED DIAL.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WANT TO ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE AND SORRY I SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT A LOT EARLIER THAT YOU'VE ALSO BEEN JOINED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIS J. COUNCIL WEBER YOU'RE NOT.  THANK YOU. I GUESS DAN I JOIN MY COLLEAGUES AND HIGHLIGHTING HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE GET KIDS TO SPORTING EVENTS.  I THINK WE HAD SPOKEN IN AN EARLIER HEARING WITH THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF USING HAVING VANS AND ALLOWING I OFTEN WAS TRANSPORTED BY COACHES IN SCHOOL PROVIDED VANS HAVE WE LOOKED INTO THAT TO HAVE YOU KNOW IF THERE'S WE HAVE A LAST MINUTE BUS DRIVER SHORTAGE AND YOU KNOW I DON'T KNOW IF YOU LOOKED INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF USING YOU KNOW, THE VEEPS HAVING A COUPLE OF VANS THAT'S YOU KNOW, A COACH OR SOMEONE FROM THE AIDS OFFICE CAN FILL IN WHEN NEEDED. YEAH. YEAH. I DON'T WANT TO YOU KNOW, SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE ATHLETICS OR STUDENT SUPPORT TEAMS FOR BEEPS . BUT ONE THING THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT WITH THEM IS YOU KNOW, IN INSTANCES WHERE YOU KNOW, ATHLETICS TRIP IS NOT ABLE TO BE COVERED BY THE YELLOW BUS TRANSPORTATION OPERATION, YOU KNOW, FOR WHATEVER REASON ONCE WE ONCE WE EXHAUST THOSE OPTIONS, YOU KNOW THAT I BELIEVE THEY ARE EXPLORING ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS TO HAVE AVAILABLE WHETHER IT'S YOU KNOW, VANS OR WHATEVER OTHER OPTIONS THAT MIGHT BE OKAY.  AND JUST FOR OUR INFORMATION, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS,  HOW MUCH TIME TO DO WE DO WE HAVE BETWEEN WHEN WE FIND OUT A BUS DRIVER IS NOT GOING TO BE PICKING UP A TEAM AND WHEN THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE. YEAH, NO IT'S A REALLY GREAT QUESTION. SO ANY WHAT WE CALL SUPPLEMENTAL SO THAT'S ATHLETICS TRIPS BUT IT COULD ALSO BE FIELD TRIPS OR JUST KIND OF ANYTHING THAT'S OUTSIDE OF REGULARLY SCHEDULED TIME TO SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION IS PUT UP FOR BID BY THE DRIVERS THREE BUSINESS DAYS IN ADVANCE AND SO THAT MEANS IT'S AVAILABLE FOR ANY DRIVER WHO'S ABLE TO TAKE THE TRIP, YOU KNOW, TO PUT THEIR NAME IN AND YOU KNOW THAT'S ASSIGNED IN SENIORITY ORDER, YOU KNOW THEN YOU KNOW WE KNOW AT LEAST WHAT IS ASSIGNED THROUGH THAT PROCESS THEN I THINK WHERE WE REALLY RUN INTO CHALLENGES IS ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T GET ASSIGNED THROUGH THAT PROCESS THAT HAPPENS THREE BUSINESS DAYS IN ADVANCE AND RIGHT NOW THE ONLY OPTION IS FOR IT TO GO INTO WHAT'S CALLED THE DAILY STANDBY BID WHERE THE POOL OF STANDBY OR SUBSTITUTE DRIVERS THAT TRANSPORTATION MAINTAINS, YOU KNOW, SELECTS THEIR WORK FOR THE DAY.  THE CHALLENGE WITH THAT IS THAT PROCESS HAPPENS AT ABOUT 12:30 P.M. FOR TRIPS THAT ARE HAPPENING THAT AFTERNOON AND SO THAT'S WHERE KIND OF ALL OF THE YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT THAT WE'RE DOING IN CONJUNCTION WITH ATHLETICS STUDENT SUPPORT THAT I'VE BEEN DESCRIBING A LITTLE BIT HERE IS TO MINIMIZE AND REALLY ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR ATHLETICS TRIPS TO GO INTO THE DAILY STANDBY BIDS BECAUSE THE CASES WHERE A TEAM FINDS OUT AT 1 P.M. THAT THEY DON'T HAVE A BUS OR EVEN LATER IT'S TYPICALLY BECAUSE IT HAD TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND THERE WASN'T A STANDBY DRIVER. OKAY AND THIS IS WHERE SCHOOL COULD LET OUT OF TWO SO THEY FIND OUT AN HOUR BEFORE. OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THAT.  I GUESS, LOU, I HAVE A QUESTION JUST THIS IS SORT OF DIFFERENT THAN THE USUAL LIKE WE HAVE WE HAVE THE ESSAY YOU CONTRACT WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHERE THE CITIES THE EMPLOYER HERE WE'RE NOT THE EMPLOYER CAN JUST EXPLAIN, YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU SAY WE WERE NEGOTIATING YOU KNOW WHAT ROLE THE CITY PLAYS IN THIS IN A CONTRACT BETWEEN TRANSDEV AND THE STEELWORKERS. YEAH. SO THESE ARE PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYEES SO THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT POSTURE IN TERMS OF BARGAINING THAN ALL OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES HAVE. I MEAN FOR ONE PIECE OF IT AS PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYEES THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO STRIKE.  SO IT MEANS BARGAINING JUST TAKES A VERY DIFFERENT POSTURE WITH THESE FOLKS AND THE OTHER PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYEES WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAN OTHERS. BUT BECAUSE TRANSDEV IS ENTIRELY A PASS THROUGH. SO IN OTHER WORDS ALL OF THE MONEY COMES FROM BHP'S.  THE CITY AND BHP'S ARE INVOLVED AT ALL STAGES OF THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH TRANSDEV SO WE ALL DO IT TOGETHER.  SO DAN AND HIS TEAM I'M THERE AND THE TRANSDEV FOLKS ARE THERE SO IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT WAY OF BARGAINING. IT INVOLVES MORE PEOPLE AND IT ALL INVOLVES YOU KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A A TENSE SITUATION. SO THAT'S HOW IT DIFFERS FROM OUR NORMAL CITY UNIONS THAT WE'RE WE'RE THE DIRECT EMPLOYER AND I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS FOR YOU OR FOR JIM BUT IN TERMS OF COSTS, I MEAN BUSSING COSTS ARE ALWAYS A CONCERN WOULD WITH THE CITY COULD THE CITY EMPLOY THE DRIVERS DIRECTLY? WOULD THE CITY SAVE MONEY OR WOULD IT COST MONEY IF WE DID SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD A PROPOSAL OR CONTEMPLATED LOOKING AT THAT OPTION WHICH I REALLY CAN'T GIVE A RELIABLE RESPONSE TO THAT BUT IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE ANALYSIS THAT WOULD BE CONDUCTED. SO I THINK WE HAVE THAT BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN KICKED AROUND FROM TIME TO TIME AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME STUDIES DONE OF IT BUT IT HASN'T GONE VERY FAR.  OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FITZGERALD, THE IS NOW YOURS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING HERE TODAY. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. GOOD SEEING YOU ALL.  A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. SO DOING THE QUICK BACK OF THE NAPKIN MATH HERE A THE YOU KNOW, THE 6.6 MILLION THAT WE'RE REQUESTING THIS YEAR AND OVER THE COURSE OF THE FOUR YEARS IT'S ABOUT CLOSE TO 36 MILLION. RIGHT. I THINK IN THIS YEAR WITH 888 DRIVERS THAT BUMPS UP TO ABOUT SEVEN AND A HALF THOUSAND DOLLAR RAISE OVER THE FOUR YEARS. BUT IF WE TAKE IT OVER FOR I'M SORRY IF YOU DO THE MATH IT'S ABOUT A $10,000 RAISE OVER FOUR YEARS FOR EACH BUS DRIVER. RIGHT. AND SO DOING AND WITH THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM HOURS GOING UP TO FOUR I HAVE A QUESTION WHAT ARE THOSE 4 HOURS LOOK LIKE? LIKE WHAT IS THE IF YOU CAN GUARANTEE A BUS DRIVER HOURS HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU GUARANTEE FOUR MORE HOURS IN A DAY? YEAH. SO IT'S A GOOD QUESTION. SO EVERY BUS DRIVER HAS A YOU KNOW, AN ASSIGNED SCHEDULE BASED ON THE ROUTE THAT THEY PICK DURING THE BID THAT HAPPENS IN AUGUST AT THE START OF THE YEAR. YOU KNOW THAT BID THAT ROUTE THAT THEY CHOOSE YOU KNOW DEPENDING ON WHAT SCHOOLS THAT YOU KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO WHAT YOU KNOW WHERE THEY'RE STARTING YOU KNOW ALL THAT THAT THAT ROUTE HAS WHAT'S CALLED A FLAT RATE WHICH IS BASICALLY THE NUMBER OF HOURS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT ROUTE TO ABOUT 150 OF OUR YOU KNOW, 640 ROUTES THIS SCHOOL YEAR HAVE LESS THAN 35 HOURS PER WEEK IN THEM. SO THE OTHER ROUTES ALREADY HAVE MORE THAN 35 HOURS PER WEEK. YOU KNOW THAT POOL OF DRIVERS THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT YOU KNOW, WOULD BE IMPACTED BY THIS AND YOU KNOW SOME OF THEM THEY WHATEVER THE ROUTES LOOK LIKE FOR NEXT YEAR BUT BASICALLY ANYONE WHO HAS LESS THAN 35 HOURS PER WEEK IN THERE, THEY'RE ASSIGNED ROUTE ANYTHING YOU KNOW THE GAP THAT'S WHERE THE WORK DIRECTED COMES IN. SO IF THERE'S A YOU KNOW, A TWO HOUR GAP THEN THAT DRIVER CAN BE ASSIGNED 2 HOURS WORK AS DIRECTED DURING THE WEEK. OKAY.  IS ARE YOU HOLDING THEM THAT THEY HAVE TO REACH THAT 35 PER WEEK OR IF THEIR ROUTE ONLY ALLOWS FOR LESS THAN 35 AND THEY DO NOT GET TO THE 35 AND THEY ARE NOT DIRECTED OTHERWISE TO WORK THAT GAP THEY WOULD ONLY BE GETTING THEIR SET ROUTE ADDRESS. NOPE IT'S A GUARANTEE IT'S FOR INSTANCE RIGHT NOW WITH THE 31 OUT OR GUARANTEE YOU KNOW ANY DRIVERS WHO HAVE LESS THAN 31 HOURS IN THEIR ROUTE THEY'RE PAID 31 HOURS PER WEEK AT A MINIMUM AND THAT'S A YOU KNOW, THAT'S A SMALL NUMBER BUT IT DOES NOT SURE.  BUT SO IF THEY'RE GUARANTEED TO GET PAID BUT ARE THE LET'S JUST SAY THE BEEPS KIDS BECAUSE I ECHO ALL MY OTHER COUNSELORS AND THAT SENTIMENT AROUND THAT ARE THEY GUARANTEED TO HAVE TO PICK UP BEEPS ATHLETIC ROUTES TO TO FILL THAT I MEAN YOU'RE GUARANTEED TO GET PAID I UNDERSTAND THAT IF I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH HOURS YOU'RE GOING TO GET PAID 30 TO THE 35 BUT DOES THAT MEAN YOU ARE GOING TO WORK UP TO THE 35 HOURS. IT MEANS THAT WHAT I GUESS WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THE THE EXACT SPECIFICS AROUND THE THE WORK AS DIRECTED LANGUAGE HAVE NOT BEEN FINALIZED YET. OKAY.  BUT I THINK I ONLY BRING IT UP BECAUSE WHEN I LOOK AT OVER THE COURSE OF FOUR YEARS, YOU KNOW, A $10,000 RAISE AND THEN A GUARANTEED INCREASE HOURS WORK SO YOU'RE GOING TO GET YOU'RE GOING TO WORK MORE HOURS AT A HIGHER RATE THE EXPECTATION OF THAT FROM EVERYBODY RIGHT THAT'S LIVING IN THE CITY IS THAT OKAY THEN I WILL HAVE SERVICES PROVIDED FOR ME WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO GUARANTEE MORE HOURS AND GET PAID MORE. I EXPECT THE BUS TO BE THERE AT X SCHOOL FOR X GAME TO DELIVER IT FOR THEM RIGHT NOW. I UNDERSTAND I KNOW THAT THAT IS THE THE INTENT OF THAT BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IS IT MORE IN THE WAY THE UNION PICKS THEIR ROUTES EVERY DAY AT 12 WHEN THE BUS LEAVES 2 HOURS LATER AND TWO TO GO TO THE GAMES THAT LIKE THAT'S THE CRUX OF THE PROBLEM OR IS IT THAT THIS SHOULD SOLVE THE THE MOTIVATION TO WANT TO FILL THE GAP OF WORKING THOSE HOURS? YEAH I THINK THIS PROVIDES US, YOU KNOW, AN ADDITIONAL OPERATIONAL TOOL TO SAY YOU KNOW, WORK AS DIRECTED HERE TO COVER TRIPS THAT ARE NOT RIGHT NOW GETTING COVERED THROUGH THE EXISTING PROCESSES SO THE WORK IS DIRECTED LANGUAGE THAT IS A IF YOU ARE TO DIRECT THEM TO DO IT THEY HAVE TO DO IT AND THE LANGUAGE IS STILL BEING FINALIZED. BUT YEAH IT WOULD BE AS DIRECTED INSTEAD OF YOU KNOW AT YOUR DRIVER BID OR TEST. YEAH GOTCHA. I NOTE THE REDUCTION IN SERVICE FOR RETIREMENT BENEFITS AND THINGS LIKE THAT IS THAT COMPARABLE TO WHAT'S HAPPENING ELSEWHERE WITH THE CITY UNION CONTRACTS? MAYBE THAT'S MORE YOU SO YEAH THIS ONE THIS IS A CHALLENGING ONE. I MEAN I THINK I MEAN THESE FOLKS ARE PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYEES WHO DON'T HAVE A TRADITIONAL DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION SO THIS IS ONE OF THE MAIN SOURCES THEY HAVE OF RETIREMENT AND IT'S AN ENORMOUS PROBLEM WITH THIS WORKFORCE BECAUSE WE HAVE DRIVERS THAT ARE WORKING WELL INTO THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES. YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT THE HEALTH INSURANCE RISK POOL IS FOR THAT CLASS OF WORKERS. WE HAVE WORKERS WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO RETIRE SO THEY HANG AROUND AND CONTINUE TO WORK SO THIS IS A SITUATION THAT IS INCENTIVIZING PEOPLE WHEN THEY HAVE MULTIPLE DECADES OF SERVICE TO BE ABLE TO RETIRE AND THIS WORKFORCE TURNOVER AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR A NEWER WORKFORCE.  THAT'S WHAT THIS IS INTENDED TO DO. IT'S A DIFFICULT SITUATION BECAUSE IT STILL IS A FAIRLY LIMITED AMOUNT FOR A RETIREMENT BUT IT IS ONE WAY TO NUDGE IN THE DIRECTION OF YOU KNOW, TURNOVER IN THIS WORKFORCE.  CHAIR IF I MAY JUST A YES OR NO QUESTION AND THAT'S IT.  SO IF RATES WENT DOWN IN THE FUTURE SAY OVER THE NEXT 40 YEARS WE DIDN'T DO AS MANY SCHOOL BUSSES AND WE DID MORE WALK TO SCHOOL AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND THERE ARE LESS DRIVERS NEEDED OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS BECAUSE OF LESS ROUTES. HOW DOES THAT AFFECT THE CURRENT CONTRACT TODAY OR DOES IT DOES IT SEVERELY IMPACT THE CURRENT GRADE? I'LL PUT IT IN A YES OR NO QUESTION. I DID SAY THAT NO CAN WE GO SO WE COULD WE COULD REMOVE ROUTE ROUTES UNDER THIS CONTRACT OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT.  THANK YOU. COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE FLOOR IS NOW YOURS. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND THANK YOU TO BEEPS AND THANK YOU TO THE ADMIN FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR DILIGENT WORK. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE UNION. I KNOW THAT THIS WAS HEAVILY NEGOTIATED AND I HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THE BUS UNION AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THERE IS AN AGREEMENT. I UNDERSCORE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT BUSSES ARE AVAILABLE ON TIME FOR OUR KIDS ESPECIALLY WELL NOT FOR EVERYONE BUT IT IS REALLY DISRUPTIVE TO PARENTS WHEN BUSSES AREN'T AVAILABLE. AS A STUDENT WHO TOOK, YOU KNOW, A BUS MYSELF TO SCHOOL,  THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF ON TIME ARRIVALS REALLY AFFECTS FAMILIES AND I KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN IMPROVING. SO I APPLAUD THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING.  EVEN MY OWN SISTER AND HER KID AND THE DIFFICULTIES THAT THEY'VE HAD THERE'S BEEN THERE'S BEEN LESS OF AN ISSUE I . MY MY QUESTION AND I'M NOT SURE IF A COLLEAGUE ASKED THIS ALREADY BUT THE WORK AS DIRECTED LANGUAGE IN THIS CONTRACT IS NEW LANGUAGE AND IF YOU COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY THAT LANGUAGE WAS IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE IN THIS CONTRACT THE WORK AS DIRECTED LANGUAGE NOW COMPARED TO IN THE PAST. THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH. SO I THINK YOU KNOW PARTICULARLY YOU KNOW LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR ONE OF THE THE CHALLENGES THAT HAS BECOME MORE PROMINENT IS YOU KNOW, OUR ABILITY TO COVER ATHLETICS TRIPS AND FIELD TRIPS AND YOU KNOW, WE KNOW JUST THE VERY NEGATIVE IMPACT THAT HAS ON, YOU KNOW, OUR STUDENT ATHLETES AND OUR STUDENTS ACROSS AND ACROSS BOSTON. AND SO THE ADDITION OF WORK AS DIRECTED, YOU KNOW WHERE THAT GIVES US ANOTHER OPERATIONAL TOOL TO BE ABLE TO COVER SOME OF THESE TRIPS THAT AREN'T GETTING COVERED RIGHT NOW THROUGH THE EXISTING PROCESSES . SO THAT WAS THE MAIN MOTIVATION THERE. THANK YOU. AND HOW WITH THE FLOOR MINIMUM FLOOR INCREASING TO 35 HOURS, HOW DOES THAT IMPACT? I KNOW ONE OF THE ISSUES OF THE BUS DRIVERS HAD WAS WITH THE BIDDING SYSTEM ITSELF AND NOT BEING ABLE TO NOT NOT BEING ABLE TO GET THE VISIT THEY WANT OR HOW YOU KNOW SOME BIDS REQUIRE THEM TO WAKE UP AT 3 A.M. AND AND HOW THAT WOULD REQUIRE OR IT WOULD DISINCENTIVIZE THEM FROM TAKING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WOULD ALLOW OUR KIDS WE WOULD PROVIDE FOR A BUS TO KIDS. WHAT IMPACT WILL THE WORK AS ERECTED HAVE ON THE BIDDING AND WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT THE BIDDING SYSTEM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DRIVERS TO MAKE IT MORE PALATABLE AND WORKABLE FOR OUR DRIVERS? MM HMM.  SO THE YOU KNOW, THE WORK AS DIRECTED WOULD BE SEPARATE FROM THE BIDDING SYSTEM. IT WOULD BASICALLY BE, YOU KNOW, MEANT TO COVER THINGS THAT AREN'T GETTING COVERED THROUGH THE EXISTING BIDDING SYSTEM RIGHT NOW. SO IT'S KIND OF A IT'S AN ADDITIONAL TOOL AFTER GOING THROUGH THE NORMAL BIDDING PROCESSES IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THE THE MECHANICS OF THE BID ITSELF. I THINK SOME OF THIS IS JUST A IT IS JUST A STRUCTURAL CHALLENGE WHERE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO SCHEDULE THE ROUTES AT A TIME THAT'S GOING TO GET YOUR KIDS TO SCHOOL ON TIME AND YOU SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS START AS EARLY AS 7 A.M. AND SO THOSE ROUTES DO HAVE TO JUST START QUITE EARLY. SO THERE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF, YOU KNOW, THAT CHALLENGE THERE. BUT WE ARE YOU KNOW, WE'RE REGULARLY MEETING WITH THE UNION AND TRANSDEV REGULARLY MEETS WITH THE UNION AND KIND OPERATIONS MEETINGS THAT WE CALL THEM TO TO TALK ABOUT THESE TYPES OF CHALLENGES.  SO BEING VERY COMMITTED TO THOSE CONTINUING THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND WHAT WOULD THAT WOULD MEAN WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS QUITE A BIT IN TERMS OF GETTING THIS AGREEMENT IS IMPORTANT. THERE ARE ONGOING BLESS YOU, THERE ARE ONGOING I THINK RELATIONSHIP CHALLENGES BETWEEN THE UNION AND BETWEEN DPS AND TRANSDEV. WHAT IS IT LOOK LIKE TO WORK ON THOSE SO THAT WE ARE GETTING THE BEST RESULTS FOR OUR STUDENTS?  YES, WE REALLY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, MAINTAIN A POSITIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIP THERE AND SO YOU KNOW WE'RE YOU KNOW WE'LL SIT WITH THEM REGULARLY, TRANSFER VISITS WITH THEM EVEN MORE REGULARLY TO TO HEAR CONCERNS TO WORK THROUGH CONCERNS TO TO LOOK FOR, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE. SO I THINK THAT'S YOU KNOW, IT'S A IT'S A CONTINUING CONVERSATION AND ENGAGEMENT AND WHAT WILL BE THE ROLE OF TRANSPORTATION OFFICERS THE TOES IN CONTINUING TO OPTIMIZE WHAT THE ROUTES WHAT THE WHAT THE ROUTES ARE FOR FOR OUR DRIVERS YEAH SO YOU KNOW TIO IS THEIR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY IS IS REROUTING AND SCHEDULING AND YOU KNOW THEY THEY HAVE A IT'S DEFINITELY NOT AN EASY JOB AND YOU KNOW THIS YEAR I THINK IT WAS A PARTICULARLY HERCULEAN EFFORT YOU KNOW DOING IT WITH AN ENTIRELY NEW ROUTING SYSTEM. AND SO I THINK YOU KNOW WE'RE GOING TO SEE WE'VE WE'VE STARTED TO SEE A LOT OF THE BENEFITS OF THAT NEW SYSTEM ZOOM AND I THINK WE'LL REALLY START TO SEE THEM KICK IN NEXT YEAR NOW THAT EVERYONE'S KIND OF HAD A YEAR TO WORK THROUGH SOME OF THOSE INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES AND THE TEACHERS ARE A VITAL PART OF THAT FOR SURE. THANK YOU. YEAH, I JUST WANT TO ECHO THAT SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT I'VE HEARD REALLY HAVE BEEN ABOUT ABOUT THAT THE FEEDBACK LOOP THAT'S HAPPENING BETWEEN THE TOES YOU KNOW MANAGEMENT TRANSDEV SO I HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT AND SEE OUR TOES AND OUR BUS DRIVERS AS PEOPLE WHO CAN HELP GIVE FEEDBACK TO IMPROVE OPTIMIZE A SYSTEM THAT WORKS BEST FOR OUR STUDENTS IN, OUR STUDENT ATHLETES. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR TRIP.  THANK YOU. AND AGAIN THANK YOU TO THE TEAM FOR WORKING ON THIS CONTRACT. A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ASKED MY QUESTION SOME OF MY QUESTIONS BUT I DO HAVE A FEW FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS GOING FROM THE WEEKLY HOURS FROM 31 TO 35 AND WITH THIS CONTRACT, DOES THIS CHANGE ANY OF THE CLASSIFICATION AS AN EMPLOYEE AND ARE THERE ANY ANY OTHER SAVINGS THAT ARE GO INTO THIS 31 TO 35 HOUR CHANGE AND IT WOULD NOT CHANGE ANY CLASSIFICATION? RIGHT. THERE'S JUST ONE I GUESS BUS DRIVER CLASSIFICATION RIGHT NOW. SO THIS WOULD NOT CHANGE THAT AND AWESOME AND THEN CAN CLARIFY SOMETHING THAT COUNCILOR FITZGERALD DID BUT CAN YOU CLARIFY THE EXACT BASE WAGE INCREASE SO PRIOR TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS CONTRACT BUS DRIVERS RECEIVED $29.13 PER HOUR FOR THE REPORT RATE. SO THAT'S FOR THEIR NORMAL WORK. THERE'S ALSO A CHARTER RATE FOR SUPPLEMENTAL WORK AND OTHER WORK THE WAGE INCREASE MARKET ADJUSTMENT WAS A $3 AND 87% PER HOUR INCREASE RETROACTIVE TO JULY 1ST OF THIS YEAR SO THAT INCREASED IT TO $33 PER HOUR FOR THE REPORT RATE AND IN PERCENTAGE WHAT WOULD BE THAT INCREASE IN TERMS OF PERCENTAGE I DON'T HAVE THE PERCENTAGE EXACTLY OKAY. BUT BEING IT THAT FOR YOU THOUGH YEAH THAT'S FINE. AND THEN I FLOATED THIS IDEA IN THE PAST AROUND BUS DRIVERS JUST BEING PREPARED THE SCHOOL YEAR TO DO A DRY RUN BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL AND THEN YOU KNOW MAYBE PERHAPS JUST MEETING THE KIDS IN THE PARENTS AT THE BUS STOP. IS THERE ANYTHING IN THIS CONTRACT THAT ALLOW FOR THAT THAT WOULDN'T ALLOW FOR THAT? NOPE. IN FACT THE THE BUS DRIVERS RIGHT NOW ARE REQUIRED TO DO A DRY RUN AFTER THE FALL BID AND BEFORE THE START OF THE YEAR. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT EXISTS AND SOMETHING THAT THEY DO. AND I THINK YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT WE ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON IS TRYING TO MINIMIZE THE NUMBER OF ROUTES THAT CHANGE BETWEEN THE FALL BETWEEN THE START OF THE YEAR. I THINK THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THAT DEFINITELY WAS A CHALLENGE THIS YEAR WHERE MORE THAN TWO THIRDS OF THE ROUTES CHANGED FROM THE FALL BID TO THE FIRST DAY. SO THEY MAY HAVE BEEN MINOR CHANGES BUT STILL YOU KNOW WHAT THE DRIVER DID THEIR DRY RUN ON MAY NOT HAVE LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE WHAT THEY WERE DOING ON THE FIRST DAY. AND YOU KNOW, WE DO NEED TO CONTINUE ROUTING STUDENTS BECAUSE THEY CONTINUE TO COME IN TO WELCOME CENTERS THROUGH AUGUST.  SO THAT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, UNAVOIDABLE TO SOME EXTENT. BUT WE WANT TO MINIMIZE THAT. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN THE WORK FOR DIRECTED LANGUAGE SOUNDS LIKE, YOU KNOW, BUS DRIVERS CAN GET A NEW ASSIGNMENT, A NEW ROUTE DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR.  WOULD THIS BE LIKE UPDATED THROUGH THE SUMMER THAT SOME THAT IT WAS ZOOM APP HOW WOULD THAT BE COMMUNICATED I KNOW IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS BUT JUST SOMETHING I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING MINDFUL BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY ANSWERS AROUND THAT WORK FOR DIRECTED IN AS BUS DRIVER TO GET IN NEW ROUTES ON THE FLY YEAH HOW WOULD THAT BE COMMUNICATED? YEP SO RIGHT NOW ROUTES ARE UPDATED ON A WEEKLY BASIS AND THEY ARE THEY'RE LOCKED ON A THURSDAY FOR CHANGES THAT TAKE EFFECT THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY AND DRIVERS THAT HAVE A CHANGE IN THEIR ROUTE RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO A DRY RUN A PRACTICE RUN BEFORE THAT CHANGE KICKS IN ON WEDNESDAY AND THEN ANYTHING THAT IS ASSIGNED TO THE TO A DRIVER ON THE FLY ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THIS NEW MAP IS THAT THAT WORK CAN NOW BE ASSIGNED TO THEM ON THEIR TABLET AND THEY'LL GET THOSE DIRECTIONS.  PRIOR TO THAT IT USED TO BE THAT IF SOMEONE WAS ASSIGNED SOMETHING ON THE FLY WE MIGHT TRY TO HAVE THE SCHOOL FOR SOMETHING OUT THE ROUTE FOR THEM AND GIVE IT TO THEM. SOMETIMES THEY WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE THAT AND THEY WOULD JUST BE DOING IT BASED ON KIND OF RADIO INSTRUCTIONS TO THEM DOES ALLOW US TO TO ALWAYS SEND THAT INFORMATION RIGHT TO THEIR TABLET SO THEY CAN BE GETTING THE THE ACTUAL JEEP'S DIRECTIONS ON THE ROAD AND THEN IF WE WERE TO REDUCE ROUTES AND REDUCE BUSSES IS THERE ANY WORKER PROTECTIONS OR ANYTHING IN THIS CONTRACT AROUND LAYOFFS AND I CAN DOUBLE CHECK THAT AND GET BACK TO YOU.  RIGHT. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS HOW MANY MORE BUSSES DO WE ANTICIPATE BEING AVAILABLE FOR FIELD TRIPS AT LATICS WITH THE INCREASE FROM 31 TO 35 AND IN THE WORK FOR DIRECTED LANGUAGE ? YEAH, I THINK SOME OF THAT WILL BE DEPENDENT ON JUST WHAT THE ROUTES LOOK LIKE FOR NEXT YEAR WHICH IS YOU KNOW DEPENDENT ON ENROLLMENT OUT WHICH OBVIOUSLY YOU KNOW STILL WORKING THROUGH PROJECTIONS THERE AND WE'LL SEE HOW THAT SHAKES OUT BUT RIGHT NOW ARE TYPICAL GUIDANCE AND WHEN WE WORK CLOSELY WITH ATHLETICS IS WE TRY TO WORK WITHIN A MAXIMUM OF 25 TO 30 TRIPS SUPPLEMENTAL TRIPS PER DAY. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN HOW MANY BUS DRIVERS ARE CURRENTLY NOT DOING UP TO 31 HOURS UP TO 3130 35 TO 35 RIGHT NOW WAS ABOUT 150. AWESOME.  ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES?  COUNCILOR MURPHY, THE FLOOR IS YOURS IN IT COUNTY COLLEAGUES HAVE ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS JUST PUT ON THERE LIKE CASTLE MURPHY THANK YOU. TO FOLLOW ON WHAT CONSTABLE WAS JUST ASKING EACH OTHER ABOUT 640 HOW MANY BUS DRIVERS DO WE HAVE?  WE HAVE HAD 888 BUS DRIVERS WHEN I CHECKED MOST RECENTLY BUT THAT INCLUDES DRIVERS ON LEAVE SO THERE ARE ABOUT 750 ACTIVE WORKING BUS DRIVERS. OKAY SO 150 ROUTES IS CLOSE TO 20%. I MEAN IT IS SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO AREN'T HITTING THAT MARK SO MY QUESTION IS LIKE WHEN WILL THE LANGUAGE BE FINALIZED AND SHOULD WE BE VOTING ON SOMETHING BEFORE WE HAVE THE EXACT LANGUAGE LIKE IS THERE A REASON WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY WITHOUT THAT PART OF THE CONTRACT FINALIZED YET?  I THINK THAT PART OF THE CONTRACT WOULDN'T HAVE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS. IT'S JUST THE OPERATIONAL LANGUAGE.  I WOULD BEG TO DIFFER. IT WILL DEFINITELY HAVE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS.  AND WILL IT MEAN THAT MANY PEOPLE WILL BID FOR THE ROUTES THAT GENERALLY ARE LESS THAN 31 BECAUSE NOW THEY KNOW THAT EVEN IF THEY DON'T HIT THE MARK DEPENDING ON THE LANGUAGE GOES THOSE WILL PROBABLY BE THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER. SO MORE SENIOR BUS DRIVERS WILL BE WANTING THOSE ROUTES.  I THINK BUS DRIVERS BID YOU KNOW, FOR DIFFERENT REASONS AND OF COURSE BUT I MEAN IT'S GOING TO HAVE A DIRECT FINANCIAL IMPACT AND 100% AGREE THAT OUR BUS DRIVERS SHOULD GET PAID FOR EVERY HOUR THEY WORK. BUT IF THE LANGUAGE COMES BACK AND WE FIND OUT THAT THEY'RE NOT FORCED TO BECAUSE MAYBE THEY CAN SAY NO EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE ASKED AND THEN WE HAVE PARENTS STUDENTS CALLING THAT YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT THEY'RE PUTTING FOR THEIR CLASSMATES IN HOCKEY BAGS IN THEIR CAR ON A THURSDAY NIGHT DRIVING TO LOWELL WHICH IS AGAINST THE LAW FOR JUNIOR DRIVERS ANYWAY TO MAKE SURE THEY DON'T FORFEIT THEIR GAME BECAUSE WE'VE HAD MANY CONVERSATION IN THIS CHAMBER AND SINCE DAY ONE SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE AND MY TIME AS A PARENT FOR 35 YEARS GOING ON 36 YEARS AND AS A SCHOOL TEACHER WE KNOW THAT ATHLETICS IS FOR MANY IF NOT ALL LIKE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART LIKE WHAT GETS OUR KIDS OUT OF BED AND IS SO IMPORTANT FOR SOCIAL EMOTIONAL REASONS. SO WILL THEY.  BUT WHAT WILL THE OUTCOME BE RIGHT? WHEN WILL WE HAVE THIS LANGUAGE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CONFIDENTLY SAY TO PARENTS BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WHAT I HEAR MOSTLY THAT WE'RE A SYSTEM THAT'S NOT RESPONSIVE TO PARENTS, RIGHT? THEIR CONCERNS GO INTO SOME SORT OF LIKE ECHO CHAMBER OR WE'LL TRY BETTER BUT NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKING FOR OVER $180 MILLION FOR OUR BUSSES WITH CONTINUED DECLINE ENROLLMENT AND WE STILL HAVE PARENTS WHOSE KIDS YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T LEAVE FOR WORK IN THE MORNING BECAUSE THE BUS ISN'T THERE. I MEAN WE'VE TALKED MANY TIMES ABOUT THIS SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATION OF THAT LANGUAGE AND WHERE WE WHEN WE THINK IT WILL BE FINALIZED.  WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF FINISHING THE LANGUAGE NOW COUNCIL WILL LOOK ALL THROUGH THE CHAIR WILL WE BE VOTING ON THIS CONTRACT BEFORE WE HAVE THE LANGUAGE ON THAT?  MY INTENT WAS TO BRING THIS TO A VOTE ON ON ON WEDNESDAY BUT I AM WILLING TO HAVE FURTHER CONVERSATIONS.  HOW LONG DO YOU THINK LIKE WILL IT BE READY BY WEDNESDAY? I MEAN THAT COUNTS FOR SOMETHING. I THINK IT WOULD BE A RECKLESS STEP ME TO SAY GIVEN THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, TRANSDEV IS NEGOTIATING IT DIRECTLY WHEN IT WILL BE DONE THAT WOULD AT BEST BE SPECULATION.  WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF DOING IT NOW. WE'RE TRYING TO WRAP IT UP BUT I THINK OF AN ESTIMATE OF THIS WEEK OR NEXT WEEK WOULD NOT BE IT WOULD NOT BE AN ACCURATE STATEMENT. SO THEREFORE IT'S NOT ONE I'M WILLING TO GIVE THAT'S FINE. BUT CAN YOU GIVE THE ESTIMATION OF HOW LONG DO WE HAVE AS A BODY TO PASS THIS CONTRACT BEFORE IT GETS TOO CLOSE TO MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF THE OTHER BENEFITS AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT I DO SUPPORT ARE LIKE WHEN WILL THIS CONTRACT GO INTO EFFECT? WHEN WILL THEY SEE IT IN THEIR FIRST PAYCHECK? 30 YEARS. SO WE'RE NOT REALLY IN A RUSH IF THEY'RE ALREADY SEEING THE BENEFITS THAT I'M SUPPORTING ALREADY WE I'D JUST LIKE TO PUT THAT OUT THERE THAT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE REALLY NOT ON THIS CONTRACT. WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE OTHER ONE NEXT BUT WE'RE NOT IN A RUSH TO PASS IT YET KNOWING MAYBE WE SHOULD HOLD OFF UNTIL WE HAVE THAT FINAL LANGUAGE. YEAH WELL DEFINITELY FROM THE CONVERSATION. YEAH. TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.  COUNCILOR FITZGERALD, THE FLOOR IS YOURS. THANK YOU, JOE. JUST WELL, WHILE YOU ALL ARE HERE, CONCERNS HAVE COME UP ABOUT HANDICAP ACCESSIBILITY IN THE SOME BUSSES WHEN YOU GO ON FIELD TRIPS IF THERE IS A STUDENT IN A WHEELCHAIR IN A CLASS IT CAN ONLY TAKE ONE ONE WHEELCHAIR ON A BUS.  AND SO IF A CLASS HAS EITHER MORE THAN ONE STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY THEY HAVE TO GET MULTIPLE BUSSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. HOW IS IT WORKING OUT IF I TELL ME IF THAT IS A PROBLEM THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT JUST CAME UP AND I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT ORIGINALLY AT FIRST BUT THAT THERE'S ONLY SO MANY SEATS PER BUS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND THEREFORE MULTIPLE BUSSES SOMETIMES HAVE TO OR THE PERSON WITH THE DISABILITY ACTUALLY CAN'T GO ON THE FIELD TRIP BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY A CERTAIN AMOUNT ALLOWED ON AND THINGS LIKE THAT. HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN THAT KIDS JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE A DISABILITY HAVE TO MISS OUT?  YEP YEP. SO ARE WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE BUSSES CAN TAKE THREE WHEELCHAIRS ON EACH BUS. THAT'S RIGHT AND YOU KNOW WHEN YOU KNOW WHEN THAT COMES UP YOU KNOW AS A CONCERN WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THE BUDGET TEAM AND THE SCHOOL TO TO FIGURE IT OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO ACCESSIBILITY EQUITY ISSUES FOR FIELD TRIPS. GREAT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.  COUNCILOR FLYNN, THE FLOOR IS NOW YOURS. THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON COUNCILOR FITZGERALD COUNCILOR MURPHY'S COMMENTS COUNCILOR FITZGERALD COUNCILOR MURPHY'S COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.  HAS THERE EVER BEEN A TIME WHEN A STUDENT IN A WHEELCHAIR WASN'T ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A SCHOOL SPONSORED EVENT BECAUSE THE BUS WASN'T AVAILABLE? THERE WAS NO ASSISTANCE FOR THAT STUDENT.  SIMPLY THERE WASN'T A WAY TO TRANSPORT THAT STUDENT TO A SCHOOL SPONSORED EVENT. HAS THAT HAPPENED?  UH, I'M I'M NOT AWARE. NOT NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE. BUT IT PASS. COULD YOU PROVIDE ME WITH THE FOLLOW UP ANSWER ON THAT SO I CAN BE SURE OF THAT? I GUESS WHAT I WOULD SAY IS WHEN WHEN SCHOOLS REACH OUT TO REQUEST BUSSES FOR FIELD TRIPS IF THAT IS A CONCERN, THEN WE WORK WITH THE SCHOOL AND THE BUDGET OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN FIGURE IT OUT. WELL WELL IF THEY DON'T REACH OUT TO US FROM A CENTRAL OFFICE ,DO WE STILL KNOW IF A STUDENT IN A WHEELCHAIR DOES NOT IS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND A CERTAIN EVENT BECAUSE OF A TRANSPORTATION RELATED ISSUES? I WOULD NOT HAVE A WAY TO KNOW. WELL, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW BECAUSE I WOULD I WOULD NEVER WANT A STUDENT IN A WHEELCHAIR TO NOT BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY EVENT BASED ON OUR INABILITY TO TAKE THAT STUDENT SOMEWHERE ON BECAUSE OF A TRANSPORTATION AN ISSUE I THAT'S THAT'S A CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE THAT'S A THAT'S A FEDERAL ISSUE. I AGREE WITH YOU 100% COUNCILOR AND WE WOULD YES WE WOULD ALWAYS ASK SCHOOLS THAT IF THAT WAS A POTENTIAL BARRIER THAT THEY REACH OUT TO US AND WE WOULD MAKE SURE TO MAKE. MY POINT IS THEY HAVE TO REACH OUT TO YOU BUT YOU NEED TO PROVIDE STRONGER GUIDANCE TO THE SCHOOLS THAT THEY YOU KNOW, THERE SHOULD BE A WORKING UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT SHOULD NEVER TAKE PLACE.  A STUDENT IN A WHEELCHAIR IS DENIED ACCESS.  I HAVE HEARD AT TIMES THAT STUDENTS IN WHEELCHAIRS WERE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND A CERTAIN EVENT BECAUSE OF THE INABILITY OF TRANSPORTATION TO TAKE THEM THERE. BUT YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT'S NOT THE CASE? I BELIEVE THERE IS A CONSISTENT UNDERSTANDING AROUND THAT. BUT I'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE WORK WITH OUR SCHOOL OPERATIONS TEAMS TO TO MAKE SURE THAT'S VERY CLEAR. BUT YOU'RE GOING TO GET ME AN ANSWER ON HAVE I HAVE ANY STUDENTS IN A WHEELCHAIR NOT BEING ABLE TO ATTEND AN EVENT?  RIGHT. I WILL DO MY BEST AND THEN MY MY FINAL POINT IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GIVING PEOPLE A 2% RAISE, MAYBE A LITTLE HIGHER.  RIGHTFULLY, RIGHTFULLY SO. THEY DESERVE IT. I THINK THEY DESERVE SOMETHING HIGHER ACTUALLY. BUT WE'RE GIVING THEM THE RAISE BASED ON COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. BUT LET ME JUST MENTION FOR THE AUDIENCE AND FOR PEOPLE WATCHING AT HOME THE CITY COUNCIL IN THE MAYOR JUST GOT A RAISE THIS WEEK.  WE VOTED OURSELVES A RACE SIGNIFICANT RAISE.  JANUARY 2025 ALSO SIGNIFICANT RAISE WE'RE GETTING JANUARY 20, 26 SO WE'RE FINE. WE TOOK CARE OF OURSELVES. NOT SURE IF THE BUS DRIVERS AND THE OTHER CITY EMPLOYEES LOW WAGE CITY EMPLOYEES HAVE THE SAME POLITICAL CLOUT THAT WE HAVE TO GET AN EXCEPTIONAL PAY RAISE. SO I'M A LITTLE I'M A LITTLE FRUSTRATED ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FLYNN IN JUST TO CORRECT THE RECORD, IT'S MORE THAN A 2% WAGE INCREASE ON THE BASE SALARY FOR OUR BUS DRIVERS. WE WENT FROM I BELIEVE IT WAS 29, 29, 13, 2913 TO $33 AN HOUR. RIGHT. WHICH IS A LOT MORE THAN 2%. YES, IT IS. IT WAS DONE AS A YOU KNOW IT WASN'T DONE IN PERCENTAGE TERMS. I THINK IF YOU TRANSLATE THAT INTO PERCENTAGE TERMS IT'S WELL ABOVE 2% TO AMPLIFY ON THE ANSWER THAT DAN GAVE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER THOUGH, I MEAN THE SIMPLE REALITY IS WE WERE FALLING BEHIND A LOT OF OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS IN TERMS OF WHAT WE COMPENSATED OUR BUS DRIVERS INCLUDING THAT WASN'T JUST CITIES. QUINCY AND BROGDON WERE TWO EXAMPLES BUT TOWNS MARSHFIELD AND OTHER PLACES THAT WERE PAYING SUBSTANTIALLY MORE. PRETTY HARD PLACE TO DRIVE A BUS BOSTON SO I THINK THIS IS A SITUATION WHERE YES, IT'S A GREATER INCREASE BUT TWO THINGS I WOULD SAY I MEAN IN CONFORMANCE WITH THE ADMINISTRATION'S GOALS OF LIFTING UP OUR LOW WAGE WORKERS THAT'S BEEN A REAL GOAL IN THIS NEXT ROUND OF BARGAINING. THESE ARE LOW WAGE WORKERS. SO RECOGNIZING WHAT THE MARKET WAS PRODUCING AND THAT WE HAD A SITUATION WE HAD TO CORRECT WAS AN OPERATIONAL IMPERATIVE IN THIS NEGOTIATION. SO YES IT IS MORE BUT IT WAS ALSO SORT OF DICTATED BY THE FACTS IN THE WORLD. RIGHT? WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS CONTRACT AND THANK YOU FOR LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON FUTURE CONTRACTS.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU. Q NOW WE'LL BRING DOWN THE DIRECTOR OF LABOR RELATIONS DIRECTOR LABOR RENE BOUSHEY BUT SHE BEFORE US NOW YES, HELLO. GOOD MORNING. I AM HERE ON THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING MLH WHICH WE WERE PLEASED TO REACH WITH THIS UNIT. THIS IS A RELATIVELY SMALL GROUP OF EMPLOYEES IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING AROUND 44 OR 45 I THINK EMPLOYEES THERE THE WAGES ARE SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE DONE WELL, THEY'RE EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH THE OTHER CITY BARGAINING UNITS WHERE WE'VE DONE 2% INCREASES AND THEN ALSO FLAT INCREASES.  SO IT WILL AFFECT THE LOWER WAGE WORKERS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY AND GIVE THEM A BIGGER BUMP IN THEIR SALARIES IN THIS SPECIFIC MAY WE WERE ABLE TO INCREASE THE VACATION FOR SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES AS THEY COME IN FOR RECRUITMENT AND THOSE ISSUES. SO WE WERE HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT FOR THEM AS WE'VE DONE WITH OTHER GROUPS. WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO OFFER BEREAVEMENT AND SICK PAY TO EMPLOYEES AS ACCRUED DURING THEIR PROBATIONARY PERIOD. WE OFFERED SOME INCREASES TO ON CALL THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT BOTH THE DEPARTMENT AND THE UNION WANTED TO SORT OF INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO COME IN AND RESPOND TO VARIOUS TYPES OF HOUSING CRISIS IS, YOU KNOW, OFF HOURS OR B BE ABLE TO ANSWER THESE CALLS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAVE TO WORK AT IT THEN THEY WOULD GET PAID FOR IT. BUT SOMEONE TO BE RESPONSIVE OF TO CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO HAD YOU KNOW, THERE'S A VARIOUS HOUSING CRISIS IS THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR DEALING WITH THE CLOTHING INCREASE. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THIS UNIT USED TO BE PART OF THE LARGER SEIU CITYWIDE UNIT AND THEY SORT OF BROKE OFF THERE A LITTLE BIT DISTINCT SORT OF MORE PROFESSIONAL GROUP. BUT THE CLOTHING ALLOWANCES WERE IN THE SEIU AGREEMENT AND THEY ARE IN THIS AGREEMENT I THINK COUNCILOR MURPHY'S ASKED ABOUT THAT. SO IT'S JUST A BASICALLY A LUMP SUM THAT THAT IS GIVEN TO THE EMPLOYEES AND SOME OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN SEIU. WE HAVE LANGUAGE THAT SAYS THAT THEY CAN REQUIRE I THINK THIS WAY IF CENTERS MEET IN THE OTHER IN THE OTHER CONTRACT MAY REQUIRE PEOPLE TO WEAR CERTAIN TYPES OF CLOTHES OR PANTS ON CERTAIN DAYS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO IT'S TO COVER ANY LIKE REQUIREMENTS FOR EMPLOYEES IT WOULD PROBABLY JUST BE REQUIRING SORT OF A MORE PROFESSIONAL ATTIRE BUT JUST IT'S JUST A LUMP SUM GIVEN TO THE EMPLOYEES. WE DID GET SOME POSITIVE LANGUAGE CHANGES TOO, I BELIEVE ON YOU KNOW, EXTENDING THE TIME THAT DISCIPLINE STAYS IN THEIR FILES, SOME TIGHTENING UP ON THE GRIEVANCE LANGUAGE IS AND IS CLARIFYING THEIR CGA PROCESS WHERE THE THINGS THAT WE SORT OF DEPARTMENT SIDE FOCUSED ON I THINK EVERYONE'S YEAH I THINK WE'RE BOB BOTH SIDES ARE YOU KNOW HAPPY WITH THE CONTRACT AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT FUNDED. THANK YOU.  NOW GO TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES FOR QUESTIONS COUNCILOR MURPHY THE FLOOR IS YOURS. THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING THE QUESTION I ALREADY ASKED.  I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS.  I KNOW THAT COUNCILOR FLYNN WILL BACK ME UP ON THE QUESTION HE ALWAYS ASKS ABOUT IS THIS THE MOST AND I ALWAYS DO LIKE TO HEAR THAT ANSWER BUT I'M ALSO A COUNCILOR. WELL, THANK YOU. THANK YOU.  COUNCILOR FLYNN, THE FLOOR IS NOW YOURS.  THANK YOU.  SO THE THESE WORKERS WILL RECEIVE A 2% RAISE. IS THAT IS THAT ACCURATE ALONG WITH THE FLAT INCREASES AS WELL ALONG WITH THE WHAT CAN YOU. WELL I CALL THEM FLATS IT'S AT THE SAME TIME THEY GET THE 2% EACH YEAR IT'S 500 TO 5900 AND $800 AT THE SAME TIME THEY'RE GETTING LIKE IN JANUARY.  WELL THAT WOULD BE RETRO FOR THEM. THE 2% AND THE 500 IN JANUARY THEY GET IN, THEY'LL GET IN THE NEXT YEAR BUT I THINK THEIR DATES ARE JANUARY TO JANUARY THEY GET THE 2% IN THE FLAT INCREASE AT THE SAME TIME. SO DOES THAT EQUAL ABOUT 2.3% OR SOMETHING DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH THEY MAKE? I THINK FOR THE WHOLE GROUP IT YOU KNOW, IT WAS IT'S DEFINITELY ME SEE IF I HAVE THE NUMBER IT'S CLOSER TO IT'S DEFINITELY OVER 2% IN SOME IN SOME YEARS LIKE WITH THE 900 IT'S CLOSER TO 3% BUT IT ALSO DEPENDS ON LIKE WHAT THEIR SALARY LEVEL IS THAT. NO, I APPRECIATE. APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU.  I MENTIONED IN THE LAST PANEL THE HUGE PAY RAISE THE CITY COUNCIL JUST RECEIVED WE'RE RECEIVING A HUGE PAY PAY PAY INCREASE AS WELL NEXT YEAR ALONG WITH THE MAYOR 2%. IS THAT THE BEST WE CAN DO FOR THESE WORKERS, THESE LOW WAGE WORKERS?  YEAH YEAH THAT THIS IS THE AFFORDABLE CONTRACT AGREED TO BY BOTH PARTIES AND I THINK WE'RE WE'RE HAPPY WITH. NO I UNDERSTAND IT'S IT'S WHAT IT'S AGREED TO BUT IS THAT THE BEST WE CAN DO?  YES, THAT'S THE DEAL THAT WE AGREED TO. YES OR NO? JIM, I UNDERSTAND IT'S THE DEAL. I RECOGNIZE THAT.  BUT IS THAT THE BEST THE CITY COULD DO UNDER DURING THESE DIFFICULT ECONOMIC TIMES? IS THAT THE BEST WE COULD DO? YES.  WAS THERE ANY PUSHBACK FROM THE UNION ASKING FOR 3%? I MEAN THEY DEFINITELY THEY DEFINITELY ASK FOR HIGHER WAGES THAN THIS. YES. AND WHAT WAS THE REASON WHY 3% WAS NOT AGREED TO?  I MEAN THAT'S JUST THAT'S THE BUDGETARY WHAT THE BUDGET GAVE US TO THAT SO THAT THEY COULD YOU KNOW, WITHOUT CHANGING SOME OTHER PRIORITIES. THAT'S WHAT WE HAD FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. SO YOU ALWAYS WENT INTO THE NEGOTIATION WITH THE GOAL OF 2%. IS THAT ACCURATE? I MEAN WE HAD A GOAL THAT WE WERE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, FIND IT. WE HAVE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS. I CAN'T GO IN AND, YOU KNOW, AGREE TO CERTAIN NUMBERS. I'VE ONLY I HAVE AUTHORITY TO GO TO CERTAIN NUMBERS THAT BUDGET IS ALLOTTED AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY THESE WORKERS ARE SUBJECTED TO. CITY OF BOSTON RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS AS WELL. I THINK THEY ARE. WHAT IS THE AVERAGE SALARY FOR ONE OF THESE WORKERS? OH, 88,005 MILES LESS CALCULATION I HAVE IS ABOUT 88,555. OKAY.  IS THERE ANY SPECIFIC LANGUAGE IN THE CONTRACT REGARDING ANYONE THAT MIGHT BE A VETERAN OR ANYONE THAT MIGHT BE ON AN A RESERVE COMPONENT IN THE MILITARY IN THIS MEMO? NO. IS THAT SOMETHING WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT TO SEE IF THERE'S SOME HOW WE'RE ABLE TO SUPPORT RETURNING VETERANS PEOPLE ON OUR PEOPLE IN THE RESERVE COMPONENT.  IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IN SOME OF THESE CITY CONTRACTS TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE THAT THEY'RE UNIQUE ISSUES ARE RESPECTED IN THE CONTRACT. SO I BELIEVE NOT SPECIFICALLY IN THE CONTRACT BUT FROM OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES IS LOOKING AT THE MILITARY LEAVE POLICY AND LIKE I SAID, I'M NOT SURE WHERE THEY ARE AND SOME UPDATES ON THAT BUT I THINK THE MILITARY LEAVE POLICY FOR THE CITY FROM HUMAN RESOURCES THEY ARE LOOKING AT SOME OF THESE ISSUES.  OKAY. THAT'S A THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.  WE DO HAVE A LOT OF VETERANS AND MILITARY PEOPLE THAT ARE CITY EMPLOYEES AND THEY HAVE UNIQUE CHALLENGES AS IT RELATES TO THEIR JOB AND TRAINING AND MEDICAL AND IN RETIREMENT. DO YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE IN TERMS OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES DRAFT OF THAT PARTICULAR LANGUAGE? I'M NOT SURE I CAN CHECK ON THAT AND GET BACK TO YOU. OKAY.  THANK YOU.  THANK YOU. COUNCILOR COLITIS APARTHEID.  THE FLOOR IS NOW YOURS. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR.  I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I JUST WANT TO GO ON THE RECORD AND JUST SAY THAT I SUPPORT THIS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO TO INCREASE SOME OF OUR LOWEST LOWEST PAGE, LOWEST PAID WORKERS AND I KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF WORK AS IT RELATES TO THIS. CAN YOU JUST FOR THE RECORD AND JUST FOR MY EDIFICATION HOW MANY OUTSTANDING AGREEMENTS DID THIS ADMINISTRATION INHERIT AND HOW MUCH HAVE YOU GOTTEN DONE OVER THE LAST 2 TO 3 YEARS? I MEAN THAT'S THAT'S A BIG NUMBER BECAUSE WHEN I CAME IN ALL THE CONTRACTS WERE EXPIRED AND THIS IS THE SECOND ROUND AND I THINK I HAVE THREE LEFT. SO NOW WE HAVE 22 THE 22 UNITS REGION.  YEAH I THINK THIS STAT WE THINK WE HAVE LIKE HERE WAS A LIST OF WHAT IT'S LIKE 71% OF THE UNIONS WILL BE UNDER CONTRACT WITH THIS WITH THEIR MORTGAGE AND THREE LEFT SO I MEAN I'M MUST BE OVER 40 I'VE DONE SINCE I'VE GOTTEN HERE SINCE WELL GETTING AHEAD ON THE ONES THAT WERE ALREADY EXPIRED AND THEN THIS ROUND SO WE'RE ALMOST WE'RE ALMOST CAUGHT UP WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE TO BRING TO YOU BUT WE'RE CLOSE I THINK ON MOST OF THEM. SO YEAH, WE'RE IN A GOOD PLACE I THINK WITH NEGOTIATIONS WE WERE INCLUDING PLUS BUT THE HEALTH COMMISSION IN YOUR I WASN'T DON'T KNOW THERE 71% INCLUDES PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION AS WELL I DON'T DO PUBLIC HEALTH SO I DIDN'T INCLUDE THEM BUT THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THAT INCREDIBLE WORK.  I KNOW THAT IT HAS BEEN A LOT OF WORK OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS SO JUST EXTENDING GRATITUDE THANKS TO CHAIR THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FITZGERALD, THE FLOOR IS NOW YOURS. THANK YOU. REALLY THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE . NO REAL QUESTIONS THAT THE CLOTHING ALLOWANCE IS INTERESTING.  I JUST NEVER KNEW WE GOT ONE. IS THAT SIMILAR IN A LOT OF UNIONS ACROSS THE A LOT OF OUR EMPLOYEES YOU KNOW SEVERAL OF THE BIG ONES HAVE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT ARE THEY IS THAT FOR LIKE THE WORKERS THAT I MEAN I KNOW THERE'S PEOPLE THAT ARE LIKE YOU KNOW THAT HAVE TO GO INTO SEWERS AND DIG TRENCHES IN THAT YEAH.  I MEAN SOME OF THOSE IT'S A COMBINATION OF SUMS PROVIDED AND THEN THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT THEY WANT THEM TO WEAR. THIS IS HOW IT STARTED NOT ALL OF THEM DEPARTMENTS ENFORCE IT AND THAT YOU HAVE TO WEAR THIS, THIS OR THE OTHER THING BUT WHERE APPLICABLE SOME DO SO IT'S KIND OF ALL RIGHT AND IS EVERYBODY ON CALL I, I THINK IT'S ONLY CERTAIN THERE'S CERTAIN QUALIFICATIONS AND CERTAIN YOU KNOW PEOPLE THAT NEED TO BE ON CALL AND I THINK EVERYBODY YEAH THAT'S WHAT I DO THAT'S WHY I ASK I ASSUME NOT EVERYONE IS BUT JUST WANTED TO CHECK NOPE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU DO. THANK YOU JEFF. THANK YOU.  COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE THE FLOOR IS NOW YOURS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR CHAIR AND THANK YOU AGAIN ADMIN FOR BEING HERE AND AS A COUNCIL GOES ABOUT TO SAID ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE ON THESE AGREEMENTS YOU KNOW THIS IS A COUNCIL THAT DEFINITELY CARES ABOUT HOW WE ARE COMPENSATING AND PAYING OUR LOWEST PAID WORKERS AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST WAYS THAT WE CAN DO THAT IS VIA COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS. THERE HAVE BEEN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ESTABLISHING A MINIMUM WAGE THAT MY OFFICE HAS BEEN WORKING ON BUT I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS. I WONDER IF YOU'RE ABLE TO GIVE US A DOLLAR NUMBER FOR WHAT THESE INCREASES AND THE FLATS COLLECTIVELY REPRESENT JUST LIKE WHAT THE PERCENTAGE WOULD BE FOR EACH YOU KNOW LIKE COLLECT LIKE WHAT IS IT IF WE WERE TO MONETIZE LIKE WHAT THESE YEAR TO YEAR INCREASES LOOK LIKE FOR THESE EMPLOYEES AND THE FLATS TOGETHER WHAT IS THAT DOLLAR FIGURE AND IF THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE AT THE READY THAT MAY BE UNIQUE FOR EACH PERSON. YEAH I THINK IT WOULD BE I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S UNIQUE FOR EVERY PERSON BUT IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CALCULATE RIGHT? SO EVEN IF IT'S A ROUGH ESTIMATE I'M SURE WE DO OF WHAT THE VALUE OF THIS COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT IS LIKE IS FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON WHAT WE WHAT INCREASES THIS SUPPLEMENTAL IS INTENDED TO CAPTURE THAT THAT ESTIMATION OF BOTH THE WAGE PERCENTAGE WAGE INCREASES AMOUNT PLUS ANY OTHER COMPONENTS. ALL RIGHT, GREAT. AND WHAT IS THAT CAN YOU JUST REPEAT IT? IT'S $421,000. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.  AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THE WORK. AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK THESE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE DOING YEOMAN'S WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT HOUSING IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS AND THAT SO MANY OF US HERE ON THE COUNCIL STATE THAT HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT AND IT'S REALLY OUR MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING WHO IS EVERY DAY WORKING TO MAKE THAT A REALITY. JUST THIS PAST WEEKEND THEY WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH MANY OF US TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, SAVE SOMEONE WHO WAS ON THE BRINK OF HOMELESSNESS AND SO I REALLY JUST THINK ALL THE WORK THAT MLH DOES EVERY DAY TO SECURE HOUSING FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU AGAIN. WANT TO ECHO EVERYONE'S PRAISES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION ON GETTING THESE CONTRACTS GOING GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. JUST ONE QUESTION ON THE LANGUAGE ON MY WAY AND THE LANGUAGE IS ON PAGE FOUR IT SAYS WE'RE AN EMPLOYEE SEEKS AN UPGRADE TO A HIGHER GRADE A POSITION AND THE REVIEW SAID NOW CONSTITUENT SHALL NOT CONSIDER INCREASES IN THE VOLUME OF WORK YOU JUST PROVIDE CLARIFICATION.  SO THAT'S PART OF OUR COMPENSATION GRADE APPEAL PROCESS AND IT'S DESIGNED TO TO COMPENSATE EMPLOYEES FOR DOING WORK IN A DIFFERENT GRADE LIKE TRYING TO THINK OF AN EXAMPLE YOU KNOW IF I'M DOING ONE LIKE SPECIFIC TYPE OF WORK AND IF I'M JUST DOING ADDITIONAL LIKE HERE'S LIKE FIVE MORE ASSIGNMENTS OF DOING THE SAME THING THAT'S LIKE NOT SOMETHING THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE BUT IT'S WHEN I'M TAKING ON SORT OF MY SUPERVISOR HOURS WORK AND NO ONE'S IF I'M DOING A JOB THAT I AM NOT IN THE SAME GRADE FOR. AND SO IF SOMEONE'S DOING THAT WORK WE'RE TRYING TO FIND A FAIR WAY TO LIKE YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE THEM AND PAY THEM FOR DOING THE WORK THEY'RE DOING. BUT YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES EMPLOYEES WILL JUST SAY WELL I'M DOING EXTRA WORK BUT IT'S THE SAME THING. SO THAT'S LIKE WHEN IT'S SAY LIKE A SUPERVISOR WE WORK OR IT'S A HIGHER GRADED WORK THAT WOULD YOU KNOW, WOULD JUSTIFY THAT ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION. THAT'S THE IDEA. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.  ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM MY CALTECH COLLEAGUES?  PLEASE PUT ON YOUR LIGHT. COUNCILOR MURPHY, THE FLOOR IS NOW YOURS.  THANK YOU. JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THE CLOTHING ALLOWANCE I KNOW I SEE MANY DIFFERENT CITY EMPLOYEES DEPARTMENTS THEY HAVE LIKE CITY HAT BRANDED HATS OR NICE HOODED SWEATSHIRTS OR, YOU KNOW, WINTER JACKETS. IS THAT WHAT WE'RE INCLUDING AND OR THOSE LIKE EXTRA GEAR THAT DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS PURCHASE? DO YOU KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE ALLOWANCE OR DO WE AS A CITY PAY FOR THAT? I KNOW WHEN IT WAS THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING I SAW EVERYONE HAD THESE NEW CARHARTT WINTER HATS THAT A LOT OF THE CITY WORKERS WERE WEARING.  SO WITHOUT KNOWING THE SPECIFIC DEPARTMENT I'M GOING TO GUESS THAT IT'S JUST THAT IT WAS SOMETHING IN THE INDIVIDUAL BUT BUDGET FOR THE DEPARTMENT DEPENDING ON WHAT DEPARTMENT IT WAS AND THEY JUST PROVIDE IT AS EXTRAS. THIS MONEY GOES RIGHT INTO THE EMPLOYEES SO IF THEY'RE BUYING LIKE BOOTS AT A PROPER YEAH YEAH SOME GROUPS HAVE A REQUIREMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT OTHER THINGS HAVE TO DO. SO I'M GOING TO GUESS THAT THAT'S DEPARTMENT FUNDED GYM COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHERE WE WOULD FIND THAT AND WHAT MONEY THEY'D BE SPENDING? YES.  YES. SO THERE THERE IS A MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLIES.  THERE ARE CLOTHING THAT'S PURCHASED REGULARLY WITH THE FOR DEPARTMENTAL OPERATIONS. SO AS RENE SAID, THE CLOTHING ALLOWANCE IS MORE OF A SEPARATE SET OF COMPENSATION TO THE HOW MUCH IN OUR CITY BUDGET OVERALL IS IN ALL THE DEPARTMENTS UNDER THIS MISCELLANEOUS. SO I'D HAVE TO GET YOU THAT COUNCILOR I DON'T HAVE IT YEAH IF YOU COULD GET THAT THAT BE GOOD THANK YOU.  THANK YOU JIM THANK YOU.  NO OTHER QUESTIONS FROM MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AND THERE'S ALSO NO PUBLIC TESTIMONY SO AGAIN THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION, THANK YOU TO ESSENTIAL STAFF, THANK YOU TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AND WITH THAT THIS HEARING ON DOCKET NUMBERS 01120113011401141115 IS ADJOURNED.  THANK YOU