Public School Drivers —
Building a Quality Workforce

Downsizing Schemes Work Against The Quality Workforce

Privatization is not the Answer

Privatization cuts services. It creates a disconnected, transient, and non-resident group of workers who are poorly paid and not committed to the school district or the community.

Boards of education threaten privatization to achieve certain bargaining goals, to claim that they have cut costs, or simply and boldly to union-bust! Often the BOE and the community know little about bus drivers' valuable contributions to the school district. This ignorance feeds the general prejudice about the job bus drivers do: they "just drive the bus!" Because of this misconception, drivers are often the first to be threatened with privatization.

The majority of public school drivers live in their school district, work in their school district, and vote in their school district! They are the resident roots of the neighborhood school. In order to successfully fight privatization, bus drivers must actively educate their administrations and communities. Drivers must define and describe accurately who they are and what they really do.

The "All drivers are Part-time" Myth

Most public school districts need substitute drivers to provide for absences, but far too often, BOE get away with hiring substitutes to cut hours and routes for full-time drivers. It is important to remember that even these designated substitute drivers are full-time employees and members of the Association!

One of the older practices by BOE has been to allow teachers to substitute as drivers. This practice has been eroded by the federal mandate for CDLs for all drivers. It has also been eliminated in many states due to inclusion of ESP in inclusive locals.

To Section 4: 21st Century Challenges for School Bus Drivers