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Alexandria, Va. — The United Motorcoach Association (UMA) expressed its gratitude to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao for halting an advance notice of proposed rulemaking that was seeking information to justify requiring higher minimum insurance levels for commercial motor carriers. In withdrawing the measure, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) noted that there was insufficient data to indicate that an increase was necessary.
UMA members have been fighting this regulatory overreach for more than two years, prioritizing a withdrawal of this measure each year since it was first proposed in November of 2014. A great deal of credit for this commonsense reversal is due to the work of House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster and Representative Scott Perry (R-PA), who worked tirelessly to pass the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act in 2015. The FAST Act included provisions to ensure that minimum insurance limits for commercial motor carriers could not be raised absent a complete analysis that supported any increase. That measure helped fend off what would have been an expensive, burdensome and unwarranted mandate on the nation's bus and motorcoach companies.
"We had the facts on our side, and some great allies in the House, and we got the word out to our members," said Dale Krapf, chairman of UMA and Krapf's Coaches. "Now, two years later, the FMCSA's action represents a victory for every bus and motorcoach operator, and it shows the power and importance of advocating for our industry and pushing back against regulatory overreach at every turn. We owe a debt of gratitude to Chairman Shuster and Congressman Perry for codifying the need for further study and to Secretary Elaine Chao for her decisive action to halt this poorly conceived plan from moving forward."
Visit uma.org for more information.
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Minneapolis — In its efforts to better satisfy members’ requests, the Minnesota Chauffeured Transportation Association (MCTA) debuted regular Happy Hour sessions last month, tabulated the results of its 2017 membership survey, and has compiled legislative updates relevant to the transportation industry.
The Happy Hours debuted May 1 at MCTA President Len Nelson’s Valley Limo facility in Burnsville. The get-togethers aim to facilitate camaraderie and the sharing of expertise among members and prospective members alike in a casual environment.
The 2017 MCTA Membership Survey provided anonymous feedback from members regarding the direction they would like to see the association take, priorities it should consider, and even what the new MCTA logo should be.
The survey results, which will be addressed when the MCTA next meets, reflect a general acceptance of the current annual dues and the ways they’re used to provide membership value, as well as members’ overall satisfaction. They also ranked top political issues from most to least concerning (minimum wage increases, general MnDOT issues, TNCs, MAC issues—all of which MCTA Administrative Staff Leslie Rosedahl indicated as being “very close in ranking”) while highlighting suggestions for speakers, such as Senate Transportation Chairperson Steve Murphy and the Insurance Commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
The association has also supplied updates about numerous legislative session outcomes:
MCTA current and prospective members alike met up at President Len Nelson’s Valley Limo facility last month Budget Bills
The 2017 Minnesota Legislative Session concluded at the end of May; Governor Mark Dayton announced his decisions on final bills soon after. All state budget bills were signed, avoiding a July 1 government shutdown. But Gov. Dayton line-item vetoed the Minnesota House and Senate operations budget in an attempt to both force legislature into a special session and renegotiate some policy items that were in the newly signed budget bills. It’s anticipated that the legislative funding issue will be fought next in the courts and a potential special session won’t happen soon, if at all, since the House and Senate are controlled by Republican majorities and the governor is a Democrat.
Pre-emption
Gov. Dayton announced his veto of pre-emption, or uniform statewide labor standards. The bill also included some of the governor’s priorities about parental leave for state employees, a pension fix for unions, and funding for “wage theft” issues, all of which he vetoed collectively, accompanied by an unhappy letter. Safe and sick leave in St. Paul and Minneapolis will proceed as planned, as will the effort to raise minimum wage in Minneapolis.
Minneapolis Minimum Wage
The City of Minneapolis staff issued a report and their recommendations on minimum wage to City Council, which the council largely adopted. The proposed ordinance increases minimum wage to $15/hour tied to inflation, with no tip credit (or other carve outs-for non-profits or healthcare staff), a training wage of 85 percent for the first 90 days, and a recommended three tiers of business sizes for phase in purposes.
One of MCTA Len Nelson’s fleet vehicles provided a casual place to chat during the May debut of MCTA’s Happy Hours The plan also calls for covering anyone working in Minneapolis, regardless if the business employing them is actually based in Minneapolis: If your drivers are picking up and dropping off in Minneapolis, this could pertain to you! While this specific provision was thrown out by the courts in safe and sick leave—and now that provision only requires coverage for businesses who have a nexus/are based physically in Minneapolis–the city is proceeding with all employee coverage for now. According to Rosedahl, the details of these issues will be debated over the next month, along with proposed amendments. A final vote will take place at the June 30 City Council meeting. The effective date is still undecided.
Sick and Safe Leave
Sick and safe mandates go into effect July 2017 for St. Paul and Minneapolis. There is a two-tier effective date specifically in St. Paul: Businesses with 24 or more employees in St. Paul must comply by July 1, 2017, while businesses with fewer than 24 employees have until July 1, 2018, to comply. Minneapolis also has two tiers: five employees or fewer and six or more, with both part- and full-time staff considered employees.
Additional St. Paul details can be found at goo.gl/hG0Vos and Minneapolis’ details can be reviewed at goo.gl/wmB5QN.
The next MCTA meeting date is currently being finalized.
Visit mnlimo.org for more information.
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L to R: Louis Weiner of All Star Worldwide Transportation, Michael Barreto of Flyte Tyme Worldwide, Philip Jagiela of PALM Association Management and Consulting, and Douglas Rydbom of Premiere #1 LimousineHarrisburg, Pa. — The United Passenger Transportation Association of Pennsylvania (UPTAPA) held its inaugural meeting May 31 at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg East. A robust group of members from the livery, school bus, ambulance/paratransit, and motorcoach industries helped kick off the debut meeting of this statewide association. The luncheon served as an opportunity to introduce the organization and its founders, while identifying goals for the short and long term.
UPTAPA Executive Director Philip Jagiela, who also serves as CD Industry & Brand Ambassador, called the meeting to order by welcoming the group and offering some background into the association’s concept. After emphasizing the value of a statewide industry, Jagiela then introduced UPTAPA’s co-founders: Michael Barreto of Eagle Chauffeured Services, Doug Rydbom of Premiere #1 Limousine, and Louis Weiner of All-Star Worldwide Transportation.
Barreto was next to address the room, asking each person in attendance to introduce themselves and identify the segment of the industry they represent. He then shared some of the immediate objectives of UPTAPA, including the creation of support committees and establishing a PAC, all the while stressing that there is no desire to dilute the efforts of other associations in Pennsylvania.
Next, Rydbom took the floor, echoing many of the same sentiments as Barreto. The Lancaster-area operator then solicited for potential board members, and encouraged those present to visit the UPTAPA website and apply for membership. Rydbom also made a point of explaining that education will be the key component of meetings and communication between regions will be encouraged. He pointed out that unique sponsorship opportunities are open for companies and vendors.
A short Q&A was next, with many sharing their support for the concept of a statewide association. Vendor member Eric Coolbaugh from Access Commercial Capital was enthusiastic about the efforts made by the founders, sharing his appreciation for the cohesive work environment and the belief that UPTAPA is beneficial to the industries involved.
Jagiela closed the meeting by promoting the UPTAPA website and encouraged attendees to contact him with any needs or questions.
The next UPTAPA meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 26, in the Philadelphia region.
Visit uptapa.org for more information.
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