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Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Dec. 11, 1997
issue of Workers World newspaper
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Boston shcool-bus monitors

Workers take union demands into schools HQ

By Frank Neisser
Boston

The streets of downtown Boston resounded with demands for justice the night of Nov. 19, as school-bus monitors and their supporters picketed the School Committee here—first outside, and then inside during the committee’s meeting.

The monitors belong to Steel Workers Local 8751. They have been fighting for a fair contract for nearly two years.

These workers are paid sub-minimum wage. They are required to come to work in the wee hours and remain until late afternoon—but they are only paid for a fraction of that time.

They get almost no benefits—no holiday pay, no vacation pay, no pay for snow days or sick days. The bosses constantly violate seniority rights.

And the monitors, many of whom are African American women, are frequent victims of unjust and discriminatory treatment.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino grandstanded as a friend of workers when he backed the recently passed local ordinance instituting a "living wage" for employees of city contractors. Yet he is pushing to replace school-bus monitors with forced-labor workfare workers and "volunteer" youths in the City Year program.

The union, in contrast, calls for monitors on every bus—and demands that any workfare workers or City Year youths be hired as union members paid at union wages.

On Nov. 19 the picketers chanted, "We want safety for the children—monitors’ contract now!" and, "No contract, no peace." They heard a ringing endorsement of support from Tony Romano of the Massachusetts State Labor Council and the AFL-CIO’s Street Heat campaign.

Other unionists and community activists—including Maureen Skehan of the National People’s Campaign and Brian Shea of the Disabled People’s Liberation Front—also spoke. The monitors work on vehicles transporting special-needs students; their labor is essential to provide disabled students with access to full educational opportunity.

After picketing and rallying for about 45 minutes, the monitors proceeded into the School Committee building and entered the meeting room where the committee was in session. The monitors continued to chant and picket inside the room, demanding their right to a contract and a living wage and an end to slave labor.

After 25 minutes, the School Committee agreed to hear Local 8751 President Janet Royston, who forcefully presented the monitors’ case and demanded the city and School Committee give the monitors a fair contract. The monitors continued to chant as they left, vowing to press their fight until their demands are met.

They ask supporters to send letters demanding a just, fair contract to Boston School Superintendent Thomas Payzant, School Committee, 26 Court Street, Boston, Mass., and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, City Hall, Boston, Mass., and fax copies to the union at 617-524-1691.

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