LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Bus Drivers UNITE!!

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Bus Drivers UNITE!!

Hollywood, MD - 6/24/2012

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By Jeff Hudson

St. Mary's Contract bus drivers and Contractors will now lose time, pay, and mileage on 2 hour early dismissal days, inclement weather days, and justified early dismissal days. We haven't had a raise in 4 years, our insurance has increased 26% in the the same time.

However, the Board of Education empolyees continue to receive pay raises, stipends, and lower insurance costs. It's about time that... the corrupt Board of Education takes care of people that work for a living and not the politically corrupt Teachers' and Administration Unions that fill their pocketbook and campaign coffers.

I hate Unions, but I do believe it's time for us to stand up and speak for ourselves if it means going Union, so be it. I am a 28 year professional driver, and I will be damned if a bunch of government bureaucrats will screw me in order to further their corrupt pay.

News Feedback NOTE: Views expressed below do not reflect the views or opinions of TheBayNet.com, or the employees of TheBayNet.com.

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BaldEagle	6/24/2012 at 8:30 AM
SLOW DOWN!!
Stop speeding and running stop signs through my neighborhood.
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c3h8	6/24/2012 at 9:04 AM
Thats
why they "contract" it out. You are right to stick together. You don't need a union to do that and steal more money from your checks under the guise of dues. Any summer trips that come up don't say any thing ahead of time just don't show up; NO ONE.
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skoolbusRN	6/24/2012 at 10:41 AM
What about Overtime
The board drivers get overtime pay for over 40 hours. How come the contractors drivers are treated differently?
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Momma.bear	6/24/2012 at 10:57 AM
Pay being cut
I tell you this is total crap.. I am a bus driver here in St. Mary's.. My pay as did other drivers, was cut by approx. $40 a week in the Spring. My time did not change yet my pay sure did.. I don't get paid for my fuel time, My bus has a 100 gallon fuel tank and I fuel up twice a week and it takes me about 20-25 minutes each time to put fuel in my bus.. We don't get paid to keep these buses clean nor the paper work we must keep. And Transportation/Board of Ed wonders why they can't keep drivers on these buses? HELLO?? Bus drivers are at the bottom of the totem pole which is sad.. Without these buses and drivers how would these students get to and from school? It's a very sad situation. I have an article from Charles County where their drivers were in the process of suing the Contractors AND the Board of Ed over these very issues.. Should be interesting to see how that turned out, As SMCPS bus drivers may not be too far behind with making a stand for what's right.
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my_my	6/24/2012 at 4:24 PM
Reply to Momma.bear: Right on BaldEagle!
I will have more sympathy when they all take the safety of the students and other cars on the road a bit more seriously. Ok, a lot more seriously! I get so tired of buses speeding through our neighborhood and cutting out in front of me, especially from the Quik Stop in Leonardtown.

rambocast	6/24/2012 at 11:38 AM
TIME TO LOOK FOR SOMETHING ELSE
Invest in the Tea Party, they'll take care of you!
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dallas09	6/24/2012 at 6:22 PM
Reply to rambocast: reply to my my
ride with one of us drivers for a day you will see why we do what we do and get a job an stead of worry about buses speeding

floptop	6/24/2012 at 7:10 PM
Reply to rambocast: To all who think they are better then a bus driver!!!
maybe you all that have a problem with buses and bus drivers! Should try the job before bad mouthing someone because it is your kids that are so BAD on the bus that they have to drive like that u bunch of A**Holes!!!!!!!

Homer77	6/24/2012 at 8:03 PM
Reply to rambocast: Fix your caps lock moron
You really are a sorry sack of …. Every time you comment it’s a jab at the Tea Party. Tea Party this and Tea Party that. It’s getting really old. You need to learn a new routine. Try explaining why your fool Obama gave automatic weapons to the Mexican drug cartels. The same weapons that were used to murder two American law enforcement officers. That makes your savior an accessory to murder. Now his idea of open government is to invoke executive privilege to hide the truth. The truth that he is responsible for murdering two police officers. Nobody else … he’s the President and his administration did it… the buck stops here, remember? So go ahead and Tea Party that, loser. I’ll take anybody including the Tea Party over a socialist murderer like Obama.

NotBornHere	6/24/2012 at 8:05 PM
Reply to rambocast: What are youi, psychotic?
What are youi, psychotic? The article is about the bus drivers and the school board. Grow up.

Ahigherlife	6/27/2012 at 10:42 AM
Reply to rambocast: Get a life...
...better yet...keep doing what your doing. By the time November comes, everyone will see how childish and demeaning liberals like you are. So keep doing what you'e doing...

dallas09	6/24/2012 at 6:17 PM
agree with momma
iv been driving for 5 years my pay has been cut 1 1/2 in the last two years i still have the same route nothing has changed but my pay. i think on the day we go back to work all of us bus drivers should stay home for a week let the board deal with the parnets calling in then maybe we be appreciated. i say strike tell we get what we want! Also to bald eagle you get in everyones way on the road wish you could ride with me oneday so you could see what we deal with on the road EVERYDAY
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dmbus	6/24/2012 at 11:59 PM
Reply to dallas09: Someone Needs to Listen to Reason
Putting this out there to all my fellow bus drivers in St Mary's County. You were sent a text this morning about having a union represent us. In theory it's all good. However there will be draw backs. Yes I agree that we deserve a pay raise just like everyone else at the Board is getting. I think we deserve way more than that. We need our pay brought in line with the pay that the drivers get in Charles and Calvert County. We are probably one of the lowest paid counties. We are the lowest in the Tri-County area. We also need to have some sort of retirement package. The other two counties offer their drivers retirement. You can't strike. If you do that your contractor may be in jeopardy of losing their contract, because they can't get a driver on their bus. I don't know about most of you but I really like my contractor and feel like I am part of his family. He would do anything for me. I would so not want him to lose his contract. In the same hand our contractors need to make a stand on our behalves to get us the additional funds and retirement. Our contractors are suffering right along with us. I believe they have not received a fuel increase in a couple of years. I believe they are eating at least a $1.00 a gallon on fuel. Plus no maintenance increase either. We could be very vindictive and turn them over to DLLR on not getting paid overtime, but that would get us nowhere either. Then they would really cut everyone's time down. Now the two hour early dismissal is wrong. What do they actually think they will save. I know on a two hour early dismissal I run my tail off with no break. Two hour early is harder on me more so than a regular day. We need to join forces with our contractors and force St Mary's County Public schools to do the right thing. Dr Matriano needs to look at the big picture, because without the drivers and the contractors the little darlings would not be able to get to school and get that education. I know that when Charles County walked out a lot of good drivers and contractor loss buses and jobs. We don't want that to happen here. Like I said we need to join forces and bring this to a board meeting and fight for our rights. We deserve the same kind of package that all the Board drivers get. We do the same exact job. So why the difference in pay and benefits. Here is a little story. About 3 or 4 years ago Brad Clements rode on my bus with me. Dr Matriano was suppose to but I guess he didn't want to get up that early. Anyhow I was asking him questions about why buses were routed the way they were. He basically told me that they do certain things for certain contractors to keep them happy. I stated why are you in the business of keeping certain contractors happy and not in the business of transporting children in the most efficient manner as possible. We have buses going from Hollywood to service 7D and bus from 7D going to Golden Beach. Your route should start as close to your home as possible. In the other two Counties extra miles is dead head, and the majority of their routes start near to where the bus is parked at. Do you know the amount of money this county could save if they just reigned in some of these routes. I could guarantee you that we could get a really nice pay raise if they did that. Also why are we putting additional buses on the road when we can't fill the ones we already have. It makes me sick to see a bus role out of a school with 5 kids on it. That is ridiculous to see a 64 passenger bus with 5 kids on it. That is something else you will never see in Charles or Calvert Counties. It's crazy. These are all things I have said for years. Did you know that 20 some years ago St Mary's county was offered to buy into the same routing system that the other two counties have and they opted out. Then they spent all this money two years ago on this new system that was suppose to straighten all the routes out and they are still manipulating the information to keep those certain contractors happy. This just frustrates me so much.

dallas09	6/25/2012 at 12:18 PM
Reply to dallas09: fyi
just so everyone knows the drivers have to go threw there contractors when there is a problem we arnt allowed to talk to transportion directly but when transportion has a problem they can call us directly thats a load of crap

jimv311	6/24/2012 at 9:04 PM
they deserve it
Bus drivers should get paid more. With the crap they put up with daily, while having to deal with all the stupid drivers on the road whom only care about themselves. When i have a kid in school and i put him or her on the bus the last thing i want is a disgruntled underpaid stressed out driver.
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DJPRKrock	6/25/2012 at 6:03 AM
sympathetic to the cause
I'm not a bus driver - but I understand the problems that they go through - and I do know several bus drivers in the county. I wish you the best and hope you come to a solution -- I don't know why the administrator pay keeps going up but all the support staff pay is either static or cut? And there always seems to be more administrators in the system now - but everyone complains about the quality of education - more admin - lower grades/ knowledge - hmm AND - I agree with floptop - there are some bad kids on the bus - and for Dallas09 - your idea may work - or - start driving real slow and make more stops - get the kids in late -
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Momma.bear	6/25/2012 at 9:09 AM
Reply to DJPRKrock: Someone needs to listen to reason
I as a SMCPS bus driver could not agree with you more.. This isn't effecting just us drivers it's our contractors as well.. I brought this up to my contractor who just as you said has taken me on as one of his own family members and he is ALWAYS on top of the maintance and little problems that arise.. WE as the drivers need to get together with our contractors and sit down and talk about all this.. We aren't in this alone. We need to make the stand together with our contractors for what is right. I agree with the strike.. I'd be heart broken if my contractor lost their contract over a strike. And YES Charles and Calvert counties are being paid more. Also UNION is NOT the way to go.. You get royally screwed by them as well. People need to stop and think about what's going on.. And to the others who are griping about how we bus drivers are being a pain in their tail... Come ride with me for a week.. We as buses are given very little respect by fellow motorist. In some areas we can't pull over to let you by AND if you've got a bus speeding thru your neighbor hood, report it instead of putting us all down over it. We too have to follow the law. BUT DO NOT PUT US DOWN UNTIL YOU'VE WORK OUT PROFESSION FOR A FEW WEEKS..

somdforever	6/25/2012 at 7:51 AM
Who's at fault?
I sympathize with the driver's who have not been given pay raises over the years and have had to pony up more for insurance, but, I don't understand why they want to blame the BOE or the county. Bus drivers are contractors! The people you work for negotiated with the county to provide a service. How many of you drivers have ever read a copy of the contract? Did your boss negotiate for pay increases every year? Did they negotiate for any increases to help offset increased insurance or fuel costs? My intent is not to bad mouth the drivers, or the people who own the buses (contractors). But I think the drivers are barking up the wrong tree. Maybe the driver's in SMC should form a union, but whether you do or not, you need to remember, that either way, your complaints will be with your contractor; not the county.
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floptop	6/25/2012 at 10:02 AM
Reply to somdforever: you are right!!
somdforever your hit the nail on the head! the bus drivers work of a contractor!! and that is who is at blame here for the pay cuts not the BOE and to all you bus drivers out there your contrctor is the one getting your money!!! and yes there fuel get adjusted it goes up and down with the prices dont let them lie to you anymore if they were notmaking any money with the buses why do they still have them? it seems they the contractors live high and mighty and the bus drivers are poor and scraping by and how many of you have a contractor that will dirve for you win your are sick? and dont charge you for it! how many of you have to pay for your subs when your are sick? and find your own sub? how many of your feel you are just a number? how many of you feel that you work for the contractor but the BOE tells you what you did wrong? never tells you when you done right? and they are your boss too!!! but all and all the contractor is your boss and he signs your pay check so when you go on strike make sue it is right!the contactor is the one you are after and the BOE is there boss!!!!! THE CONTRACTORS ARE THE ONE'S TAKING YOUR PAY FROM YOU TO FATIN THE POCKETS!!!!!!!!

dallas09	6/25/2012 at 11:35 AM
Reply to somdforever: you no nothing
its been all over the the bay net and in the pappers kids are going to walk further that means the mileage that the contractors are geting paid for are being cut. so that means the drivers time will get cut because there not out on the road aslong. the drivers dont have a say in anything. if a stop is not safe we dont have the right to change it the board makes the decision by looking on map quest sitting behind a desk. the board keeps trying to save money and there taking it from us the drivers. at the summer bus drivers meeting Dr.Martirano always says "i dont know how you guys do it" hes a joke we need a new superintendentand Director of Transportation. someone that truly appreciates us!

proudaunt	6/25/2012 at 3:59 PM
Reply to somdforever: contractors
More and more, public services are being contracted to avoid paying benefits and fair wages to employees. The state of Maryland contracts out almost all of its services. Contractors are shooting themselves in the foot with lowball offers in order to get the contract. They do not have to bid. They can choose to go anywhere. Or, when it is time to negotiate a new contract, they can take into consideration all costs, including a fair wage for the drivers. When it is time for cuts in order to meet that lowball bid, the first cut will always be the driver. It will not come from the contractors' profit margins. I agree that you are incorrectly placing blame at the feet of the BOE. Their job is to find services for as little as possible. If the contractors all give a fair bid that includes pay raises and benefits then that is what the school district would have to pay. Look no further than your boss.

dmbus	6/26/2012 at 7:03 AM
Reply to somdforever: Contractors
Their hands are tied much like ours. Yes I have seen a contract and it is not something that my contractor himself negotiated. This is something that is set in stone before the school year starts. Either the accept it or they don't have a contract. So if this is their livelihood they have no choice to accept it. They have lost plenty of money the last few years with the rising cost of fuel and maintenance. If you have a bus that has a 60 gallon tank, and that bus fuels everyday, and you have to eat $1.00 a gallon on that bus. Then you lose over $10,000 a year in fuel cost. How many of you can afford to lose that much money. In addition they received no increase in maintenance cost. So no I do not blame my contractor for bad negotiating skills. This is just SMCPS trying to cut corners in an area that they really need to focus on. They have spent money on bringing FIOS to the schools this year. Where most of us in this county can't get FIOS. They have bought Smart Boards for every class room in the county. What did that cost? Teachers have not received a pay raise in as many years as us. Some have not even been paid their steps, but when they do the county says that they got a pay raise to make it look as if they did something great. Why don't you all look how many people at SMPCS that have received pay raises in the last few years. I bet you will find that it isn't too many that are actually responsible for making the magic happen. Think about what some of you are saying. Thank your child's bus driver and teacher for the job that they do. And they have done without a pay raise for a long time. Not even a cost of living increase. I am sure some of you get a cost of living increase every year or some sort of pay raise. Imagine if you didn't. Yes I do understand this is a choice I make, and I do it willingly. I enjoy my job tremendously. So much so that I have done it for 20 years. However I have an additional means of income in my house. Some drivers do not. Their job is all they have to support their families. I do take offense when people group all bus drivers together when one does something bad. I do not speed and take my job very seriously. I have always driven my bus in a manner that I would expect someone to drive my own children. I have an outstanding safety record, and have received an outstanding review every year. So I do believe that I deserve an increase in my pay for my outstanding record.

cowboys51	6/25/2012 at 11:07 AM
I agree
we all have to remember that bus drivers play a important roll in the school system getting children to and from school safe so i agree drivers and attendants deserve a pay raise yearly after all it is alot of responsibilty being a bus driver and attendant on a school bus me my self would not want that job
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lovebug	6/25/2012 at 10:37 PM
Reply to cowboys51: As a taxpayer
that never had children, I resent having to pay for all these kids to be bussed here and there and all you whiny bus drivers and attendants that get paid to do what you do! Darn it! Many companies are laying people off, cutting salaries and the like so why can't you just be happy you have a darn job instead of whining about not getting more money?

dallas09	6/26/2012 at 12:58 PM
Reply to cowboys51: love bug
atleast we are trying to make a living unlike you and many others sitting at home collecting welfare. its not are fault you dont have any kids. kids have to go to school and without us atleast 75% wouldnt have a way to and from school. i see your point you think if we get a raise its going to effect your check! STRIKE ON THE 22ND!

dmama	6/25/2012 at 12:43 PM
Careful
More and more headlines like these: "Bus service to three Boise schools to be eliminated." "Wilsonville Schools will discontinue bus service." are being seen around the nation. As cost rise the cuts are being seen in areas we never thought would be hit.
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rapidone	6/26/2012 at 2:11 PM
Outage
Sounds like you all should group together and have an outage day. See what the schools do then. I for one do not have kids BUT, I do pay for services for kids I do not have. When I get to a point where I do not like my benefits I just move on. I do not understand how you all put up with some of those little window lickers out there. I must commend you and hope the best for you all
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smibgem	6/29/2012 at 6:25 PM
My contractor...
has stepped up and taken care of the drivers under the contract "negotiations" forced upon them. The fact of the matter is that they keep cutting costs from bus services to appease the unions and fear-mongering propagated by the Superintendent, unions, and BOE. It's simple, they are political hacks whose primary job is to protect their backers in order to appease the folks who support them. Take a look at their salaries, pensions, stipends and bonuses. Look how they've increased over the past four years, it damn near equals the budget increases. Ask this question, do you want underpaid, non-professional drivers?? Or do you want highly professional, well-paid drivers to transport the most important cargo on our county roads?? Sounds familiar doesn't it?? Low paid, un-professional teachers?? Or high-paid professional ones?? It's the same damn thing and it's about time the bureaucrats in Leonardtown figure this out, I mean really, it's common sense. But alas, nowadays, common sense doesn't come into play when you are dealing with politicians and bureaucrats manipulated by unions and their political backers.
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Bus Drivers UNITE!!

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