By ARI PAUL The Chief

New York City Transit must pay Bus Dispatchers overtime for working shuttlebus shifts instead of paying supervisors on straight-time, an arbitrator has ruled, setting a precedent that could resolve a long-standing dispute for Bus Operators.

Could Cost $1M a Year For weekend shuttle buses—which replace subway routes closed for maintenance—the two NYC Transit bus companies have traditionally used Bus Operators and Dispatchers volunteering for overtime to take the routes, but in a money-saving effort, NYC Transit has been transferring under-used workers to do the jobs at straight time. Arbitrator George Nicolau has ruled that NYC Transit must go back to the overtime policy, a move NYC Transit President Howard H. Roberts called “very unfavorable” and estimated could cost the agency $1 million per year, according to the Daily News.