LOS ANGELES
School bus drivers strike for better pay
By Adrian Garcia
Los Angeles
What more precious cargo can there be than children? You'd
think the drivers of this precious cargo would be among the
best-paid workers. But you'd be wrong.
On April 2, some 800 school bus drivers went on strike
against the Los Angeles Unified School District's biggest
transportation contractor, Laidlaw Educational Services. The
striking drivers, members of Teamsters Local 572, are demanding
parity with drivers employed directly by the district.
The hourly wages of district-employed drivers range from
$19-$25 and are supplemented with full health and welfare
benefits and solid pensions.
Laidlaw drivers, on the other hand, earn between $8.50 and
$12.00 an hour. They pay substantial amounts for health care
and other benefits, with the employer's contribution reaching
90 percent only after 10 years of service.
The strike affects about 20,000 children in Los Angeles.
Most are inner-city kids who are bused to schools outside their
neighborhoods because of severe overcrowding.
"Laidlaw drivers work the same hours on the same buses, yet
are relegated to working poverty," said Local 572 Business Rep.
Lonnie Holmes. "They deserve better. The children of Los
Angeles deserve better."
Considering that LAUSD recently cut $51 million in school
funding and announced that teachers should not expect a raise
until 2008, it's not surprising that the district sided with
Laidlaw management against the drivers. Superintendent Ray
Romer commented in an April 11 Los Angeles Times interview that
he believes Laidlaw pays its workers a living wage and the
strikers should settle immediately.
Union members say the district has stepped up pressure on
contractors to offer lower bids for services. Lower bid
contracts have become the norm in every facet of the school
district's dealings. This business-like approach to school
management, with a focus on cutting costs at the expense of
quality and safety, will have serious repercussions for workers
and schoolchildren alike.
Despite Laidlaw's and LAUSD's attempts to demoralize the
drivers, solidarity is strengthening their fight. With the aid
of fellow Teamsters, Local 572 reported that it reached an
agreement with the management at Laidlaw rival Atlantic
Express. Under the terms of the agreement, Teamster drivers at
Atlantic Express will no longer be pressured to accept work on
Laidlaw bus routes during the strike.
"An injury to one is an injury to all," stated Local 572
Trustee Rick Middleton. "Laidlaw Teamsters appreciate the
support of their fellow union members at Atlantic Express and
with their support we will end this strike and secure a fair
contract."
The demands being made by the striking drivers are just and
workers everywhere should support their struggle for a living
wage. This attack against workers through exploitative and
divisive tactics must be confronted and repelled, for an attack
on one worker is an attack on all workers.
Reprinted from the April 25, 2002, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe@workersworld.net
Support independent news http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php)
HOME
:: U.S. NEWS ::
WORLD NEWS ::
EDITORIALS ::
SUBSCRIBE ::
DONATE
Email
this article
Printable
page