Local 983 member Ronald Santos, an Associate Park Service Worker in Van Cortlandt Park, was on the road to a career as a truck driver for the Parks Dept. He had completed the local’s Commercial Drivers License training program and passed the promotion test.

But after he worked only a few weeks as an APSW, Parks management reevaluated Mr. Santos’ driving and slammed on the brakes in a tricky maneuver aimed at forcing him to resign without completing probation. “They were trying to take the job away from me,” Mr. Santos said. The promotion meant an additional $8,000 a year for the 22-year veteran Parks worker.

Sensing that he “was being treated unfairly,” Mr. Santos called DC 37 Council Rep Tony Mammalello and Local 983 President Mark Rosenthal.

Although Mr. Santos lacked experience, he did have the required CDL. DC 37 General Counsel Joel Giller found that under Civil Service law Mr. Santos was entitled to four months of probation before an evaluation could be made. Mr. Giller notified management of the regulation, and they reversed their decision.

In the meantime, Local 983 arranged for Mr. Santos to have supervised driving instruction to help get him comfortable with the larger vehicles. He drove garbage trucks, rack trucks, dump trucks and pickups. “During the four months, I became less nervous and built up my skills,” he said. “I was an inexperienced driver, but you can’t gain experience overnight.”

Back behind the wheel as a properly licensed APSW, Mr. Santos said, “ I am indebted to the union. Without my rep and president, I wouldn’t have my job. The union believed in me and the Parks Commissioner gave me a chance to prove myself. I’m still learning as I go along, but the job isn’t too big for me to handle.”

“It took this member more than 20 years to get promoted,” said Mr. Rosenthal. “But the union made sure that once Mr. Santos got in the driver’s seat, he was able to stay there.”

— DSW