Injured Milwaukee bus driver Donald Woodson was denied worker's compensation by management at the Milwaukee County Transit System, according to Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 998, president Al Simonis. He reported that the union was notified of the decision Wed. June 29.
Woodson was pulled out of his bus, punched repeatedly, and left lying on the ground, while driving Route 35 last June 6. His employer's first response was to suspend him for thirty days. Now, Woodson has also been denied compensation for his on-the-job injuries.
Controversy continues as to when Julie Schneider, the security expert hired by MCTS, even became aware of the attack on Woodson. After Local 998 vice-president Rick Bassler asserted that Schneider was unaware of the incident four days after it happened, MCTS public relations director Jackie Janz responded that Schneider was informed immediately, but had not yet received the police report four days later.
However, Simonis, who talked to Schneider four days after Woodson was beaten, reports that Schneider mentioned nothing about a police report. While she didn't explicitly state she was unaware of the incident, Simonis recalls that Schneider said she would have to look into it, in a manner which gave every impression it was news to her.
MCTS has provided no public explanation of why it deems Woodson ineligible for workers compensation. Woodson has several levels of appeal available, including filing for a hearing by an administrative law judge, then the Labor and Industry Review Commission, and review by a circuit court.
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