Teamsters Local 727 Demands More from MV Transportation During COVID Pandemic
While the vast majority of citizens throughout the state of Illinois are adhering to the “Stay at Home Order” issued last weekend by Governor Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot, the dedicated drivers, dispatch operators, mechanics, payroll clerks, and maintenance employees of MV Transportation Inc. have continued to provide transportation services to the elderly and disabled communities throughout the Chicagoland area. Because of the nature of their work, the employees of MV Transportation are designated as “essential” and will remain on the job throughout the COVID-19 crisis.
Simply performing their everyday work requires interaction and personal contact with the communities they serve which puts these men, women, and their families at a higher risk of contracting the virus. In fact, earlier this week MV confirmed that an employee at the North Cook – Division 259 location had tested positive for COVID-19 and would be quarantined. Teamsters Local 727 swiftly demanded that MV provide a paid leave to their loyal employees that includes an additional fourteen days of paid leaves for employees infected with COVID-19 or under self-quarantine due to suspected COVID-19 infection. In response, MV callously stated that no such policy would be created and that affected employees would only be paid if they had unused PTO days remaining in 2020, otherwise they would have to take an unpaid leave. According to its website, www.mvtransit.com, MV Transportation’s revenue exceeded 1.3 billion in 2018 alone.
“It is unconscionable that this profitable company has not provided a policy that allows for their frontline workers to be paid when they get sick during an international health crisis. And for many of these members, who are servicing some of our most vulnerable populations, it is a matter of when they get sick, not if. To show up to work every day so people’s grandparents can go to the doctor and be treated by your employer like your personal health and livelihood are not important… that’s sickening. These essential workers are vital to protecting the city of Chicago, and Teamsters Local 727 will do everything we can to protect them. We have reached out to the Governor, Mayor and Senators Durbin and Duckworth informing them of MV’s shameful acts. MV Transportation should be embarrassed by themselves and we will not stop fighting for what is right,” said John Coli Jr, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 727.
Nothing in this article should be read as the union’s waiver of any legal argument, position or grievance(s), or as a waiver of any rights, arguments, or defenses under any contract, collective bargaining agreement, or applicable law. The union does not forfeit its right to make any and all supplemental arguments.
Category: PARATRANSIT, Union News
