For the last several months, Berkeley Lab has been exploring various options for providing better, more energy-efficient and safer buses for our employees, students and guests. Our reasons for soliciting competitive proposals from outside vendors have long been obvious to everyone: The current bus fleet is old, inefficient and difficult to maintain — facts that increase safety risk and potential liability. Moreover the need for constant and ongoing improvements, which is part of any modern and successful transportation system, requires a level of transportation expertise and special management experience beyond what the Lab can reasonably provide.
After reviewing proposals from a number of different transportation companies, Berkeley Lab has decided to enter contract negotiations with an outside vendor in the hope of reaching agreement for a new bus system, beginning in early 2010. The system would be notable for its energy-efficient buses, run on biofuel, as well as its seat belts, wider entrances and exits and more frequent maintenance schedules. Given the high priority we place on safety, these improvements are both welcome and necessary.
We are very mindful that some in the Lab community will take a different view of our actions, suggesting that we are simply privatizing the Lab’s bus service as a convenience with little thought to the effects such a change would have on our career bus drivers. This is simply not true.
As we have stated consistently, we are very sensitive to the needs of our work force and should the contract negotiations with this vendor conclude successfully, we will ensure that our career bus drivers will have employment choices. In short, they may either become an employee of the new vendor — where they might choose union representation — or they will be given the option of union-represented employment at the Lab with no cut in salary or benefits.
Change can be difficult. Our pledge has always been to provide a safer transportation environment and protect jobs. In taking these steps, we feel that we have struck a fair and responsible balance.
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