In light of the Turnbull administration’s decision to lay off 62 Vitran workers last week, a St. Croix labor leader is supporting Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg’s call for an audit of the public transit service.
Ralph Mandrew, president of the V.I. Workers Union, which represents Vitran employees on St. Croix, has long said that mismanagement of public transit in the territory is the reason the system is more than $12 million in the red. In Senate hearings a week ago, Public Works Commissioner Harold Thompson Jr. said that approximately $330,000 in Vitran funds was used earlier this year to pay trash haulers on St. John.
Additionally, Thompson was criticized for not spending some of the $12 million in federal funds the department received last year on the bus service. The commissioner responded that roads, wastewater and solid waste issues have taken priority over Vitran.
Public transportation, solid waste and wastewater management all fall under the purview of Public Works.
Because of the questions surrounding the use of funding for public transportation, Donastorg on Thursday, May 11, wrote V.I. Inspector General Steven Van Beverhoudt requesting that an audit be conducted.
"I am very concerned that Vitran’s fiscal troubles may be due to mismanagement of some kind," Donastorg wrote. "It is my hope that your audit will be able to help identify financial irregularities or other problems."
On Monday, Mandrew said the V.I. Workers Union, which represents 48 St. Croix Vitran employees, supports Donastorg "100 percent." As of Monday afternoon, however, it was unclear what action Van Beverhoudt would take.
Meanwhile, Delegate to Congress Donna Christian-Christensen said the Vitran issue is an example of how difficult it is to restructure government while being "fair and equitable" to workers. The financial situation the Turnbull administration finds itself in has caused "difficult and painful decisions" to be made, she said.
"When you proceed without a plan in place, you have to respond in a crisis manner," she said. "It may not be the most equitable way."
While Christensen said she supports the administration’s efforts to restructure the government, she said particular attention needs to be paid to what the overall effects are going to be. She also said as many people as possible with a stake in the outcome should be in on the decision-making process.
"You have to look at the impact on the service that is being curtailed," she said. "And you have to approach it in a way that doesn’t single out any one group."
Administration officials say layoffs and service cuts are needed at Vitran because fare-box revenue cannot cover salaries, benefits, parts, fuel and other supplies. The $1.8 million in funding in addition to fare-box revenue per district is also inadequate to cover operations, the administration has said.
The delegate said her office is looking into the possibility of directing more federal transportation funding to the territory.
