Opinion ID: 2480
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Rodriguez's Failure of Two 19A Tests

Text: On March 19, 2003, CBT summoned Rodriguez to take a 19A test following his morning route. Rodriguez had recently taken a 19A test on October 31, 2002, and thus was not scheduled to take another one before October 31, 2004. He failed the March 19 test and was immediately suspended. After the test, Rodriguez asked CBT Safety Director Joe Antoci why he had been retested before the usual two-year testing period had expired. Antoci explained that under New York State law, CBT could test an employee as frequently as it considered necessary. When Local 854's Secretary-Treasurer Ann Stankowitz questioned Antoci about the March 19 test, Antoci explained that Rodriguez's February 14, 2003, written safety violation, in combination with an accident Rodriguez had been involved in on June 21, 2002 four months prior to his last successful 19A testled to CBT's decision to administer the 19A test off-schedule. On March 21, 2003, Rodriguez filed a grievance with Local 854 alleging that the March 19 testing was in retaliation for his protected concerted activities in support of TDU. That same day, Rodriguez went with a group of twelve other TDU activist employees to the New York State Department of Education's office to complain about CBT's retaliatory surveillance, work assignments, 19A testing, and their view that Local 854 was effectively controlled by CBT management. Rodriguez personally requested that a representative from the Department of Education witness his upcoming 19A retest. On March 27, 2003, Rodriguez retook the 19A test, which he again failed. Rodriguez was then ordered to report to Antoci. Rodriguez testified that Antoci told him that he was disqualified from driving a school bus and that he had to take the road test again at the Department of Motor Vehicles in order to obtain recertification. Rodriguez's co-worker, Raymond Figueroa, who was also tested that afternoon and went with Rodriguez to meet with Antoci, corroborated Rodriguez's account of the conversation. In addition, Stankowitz testified that she had told Rodriguez that failing the 19A test a second time disqualified him from driving a school bus, pursuant to New York State regulations. Rodriguez testified that Antoci called him the next morningMarch 28, 2003 to say that if Rodriguez would present [him]self at any other bus company, he could take and pass the road test and again become qualified or certified. In response, Rodriguez told Antoci that he planned to call the DMV office in Albany to find out what [his] situation was. A few days later, Rodriguez called the office and was told by DMV officials that CBT had let [Rodriguez] go, but the company had not offered the DMV any explanation why.