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Union Seeks More Take-Home Vehicles

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By ELLEN GEDALIUS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 30, 2008

Updated: 08/30/2008 12:16 am

TAMPA - The city union that represents more than 2,000 employees is asking to expand the number of workers given take-home vehicles.

During its negotiations for a new contract, the Amalgamated Transit Union requested take-home vehicles for workers on standby duty. That would affect some employees in the water, wastewater, stormwater and transportation departments, though city officials couldn't say Friday exactly how many workers would be affected or how many vehicles would be needed.

The vehicles would be used for answering emergency calls. Workers would pick up the vehicles at the start of their standby shifts and return them at the end.
City administrators aren't warm to the idea. Chief of Staff Darrell Smith said the city would incur the cost of additional vehicles and gasoline.

Bernie Menendez, vice president of the ATU, said the union is asking for equality among workers who are on standby duty because some currently get to take home vehicles while others do not.

"That's all we're asking for," he said.

In the wastewater department, for example, on-call workers who respond to emergencies throughout the city take home a truck that's stocked with the tools needed to fix problems, said Ralph Metcalf, wastewater department director. Employees only take home those trucks when they are on standby duty, which is rotated among workers.

"The truck is a rolling toolbox," Metcalf said.

Other on-call wastewater employees, however, are assigned to the wastewater treatment plant and use their own cars to arrive if called in to work after hours, Metcalf said. They are not reimbursed for their commute from home.

The process works similarly in the water department, which has three take-home vehicles available, said Brad Baird, water department director.

Those trucks go home with the three employees on standby duty in the distribution division, which is responsible for fixing broken pipes, among other issues. The three standby employees for the treatment plant, however, drive their own cars to the site if called in.

"We're saying we should have them also," Menendez said.

In the stormwater department, three employees - two emergency responders and one emergency dispatcher - are on standby duty on nights and weekends. They currently take home trucks when they are on call, said Chuck Walter, stormwater department director.

Some other employees, however, might get called in to work during emergencies but don't have take-home cars.

The union is also asking for increases in standby pay. The existing contact expires Sept. 30.

The city already is contractually bound to give take-home cars to police officers, who drive their cars home at the end of their shifts.

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