3 County Bus Drivers Suspended For Sick Out

Three Monmouth county bus drivers were suspended Thursday for calling out sick from their jobs last week to attend a rally in support of unionized Wisconsin workers, according to a release from the Monmouth County freeholders.

The drivers are among 17 Senior Citizen Area Transportation employees who called out sick Feb. 25, the date of a rally of union workers and supporters of the Wisconsin in Trenton, the release said. The workers are members of CWA Local 1038, according to the release.

County officials say that the surprising number of SCAT workers who called out sick left 174 developmentally disabled adults waiting for buses that never came, according to the release. The service operated with 16 workers last Friday, the release says.

The SCAT office transported people with appointments for dialysis or other doctor’s care that day. SCAT activated its backup transportation contracts to cover a majority of the other rides, the release says.

The three who were suspended provided notes from doctors excusing their absences. But, the release says officials “obtained evidence’’ proving the trio were instead at a rally outside the statehouse, the release says.

The release does not say what that evidence is. But William Heine, county spokesman, in an email interview said officials had received a photograph of the three suspended drivers.

The suspensions are without pay and pending further disciplinary action, the release says.

“This action by our SCAT employees is offensive to everyone because it adversely impacted our most vulnerable population,” Freeholder Director Robert D. Clifton said in the release. “The Administration will continue its investigation into those who called out sick until we are satisfied that every employee who misused the county’s sick leave policy is disciplined within the constraints of the Civil Service process. This is a prime example of why Civil Service reform is needed.”

Calling the sick out "outrageous'' state Sen. Joe Kyrillos, R-Monmouth, earlier this week called for the firing of all 17 workers who called out sick last Friday.

"CWA, the union representing these employees, needs to denounce their members for putting the well-being of these vulnerable individuals at risk, and the employees in question should be fired,” Kyrillos said in a statement Monday.