School Transportation Employees Join Labor Vision to Discuss Safety and a Fair Contract at Durham School Services

School transportation employees at Durham School Services located in Cumberland, Rhode Island, joined Labor Vision to discuss the importance of safe school transportation and how Durham is disappointingly not responding to important and urgent concerns which impact both safety and service for our communities. To watch the interview, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7OnoRx9GkA

Please show your support for these workers who are standing up for safe and reliable school transportation by signing their petition: https://www.change.org/p/durham-school-services-support-the…

As discussions continue about how to safely reopen schools, it’s more important than ever that Durham prioritizes the concerns of their employees and our communities. We appreciate your support!

“As far as the disrespect that is happening with the company as far as not sitting down to negotiate, it’s not just the drivers and monitors that are being disrespected, but it’s the families, it’s the parents, it’s the children because that’s what this is all about. This is all about – we drive the most precious cargo in the world which is the kids and this is what it’s about. It’s about getting the kids to and from school safely”- Patricia St. Pierre, Bus Driver and Trainer

“The most enjoyable part of being a school bus driver is the interaction with the students and the parents, getting to see a child that is starting in kindergarten and seeing them up to the point of where they are graduating high school. I mean, that relationship is wonderful, it’s very rewarding. And to be distracted from doing that because your company is lacking support for you – it’s very frustrating. We do this because we enjoy it and we love working with the kids and the parents and serving our community”- Vincent Auger, Bus Driver

“The monitors right now, we get paid $11.22/hr. There’s a lot of monitors who have many years here and they are paid the same as a monitor coming in the door. Some people are leaving to First Student, other bus yards where they are getting paid more. Sometimes buses are without monitors. So for the monitors, (low wages) it affects us a lot. Also, the drivers as well because some runs they have to double up. We definitely have a shortage of drivers and monitors at Durham”- Ashley Cox, Bus Monitor