Loses Half-Day's Work
Penalize Bus Driver For Bathroom Stop

By ARI PAUL

For taking an eight-minute bathroom break, New York City Transit Bus Operator William Torres lost nearly half a day's work.

The Chief-Leader/Adrienne Haywood-James PUNISHED FOR A BREAK?: New York City Transit Bus Operator William Torres claimed that he was sent home from his job Jan. 13 driving the shuttle replacing G line service for taking a bathroom break during a lull in bus service. He said he would fight the action through both the state Department of Labor and Transport Workers Union Local 100.

Mr. Torres began his shift slightly before 3 a.m. Jan. 13 - which would normally have been his day off - driving a shuttle bus that replaced the out-of-commission G train. At 7 a.m., he said, he parked his bus near the NYC Transit building at 130 Livingston St. in downtown Brooklyn and was idling, with two buses ready to go before he would depart.

'If You Gotta Go, Go Home'

He asked the supervisor on duty, he recalled the following day, if he could take a bathroom break, but was told that if he took a break he would be sent home. He then called a command center and inquired about the denial. He said he was told to ask his supervisor politely about taking a break.

Mr. Torres said he asked again but did not get an answer. He then went into the NYC Transit building and used the bathroom and returned to his bus eight minutes later, he said. At that point, he was told to take his bus back to the yard and to go home.

"I'm left in the dark if I'm going to get paid," he said, noting that he was supposed to receive overtime compensation for working on his day off.

He planned to file a grievance as well as a complaint to the Commission on Human Rights.

Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Roger Toussaint said that the issue of bathroom breaks for Bus Operators has long been a problem, as it can be difficult to find a place to take one along their routes. He was optimistic that the union could alleviate the issue by working with NYC Transit management.

NYC Transit is investigating the incident.

'Should Have Gotten One'

"The Bus Operator would get one when he asks for one," NYC Transit spokesman Charles Seaton said of the agency's bathroom break procedure.

Mr. Torres said that the incident proved that the new transit regime under President Howard H. Roberts has not improved labor relations.

"I think it's the same old business as usual," he said. "You personally cannot deny the right to human beings to use the bathroom. And it's a shame that the public has to suffer because they have to wait for another bus to come."

Mr. Torres added that even if top management was trying to improve labor relations, supervisors could still abuse their power.

"They need to give them some sort of psychological test," he said. "You have to see who is running the system."