Calvert County school bus drivers orchestrate sick-out over issues with pay and benefits
CALVERT COUNTY, Md. (7News) — About two dozen bus drivers walked off the job Monday in Calvert County to demand better pay, hours, and benefits. The move left some parents scrambling to get their children to and from school.
Calvert County Public Schools tells 7News 22 buses did not run at all, with other routes affected by bus drivers who provided reasons for their absence. The central part of the county was the most affected.
From early in the morning until mid-afternoon Monday, bus drivers lined a grassy area outside public school headquarters along Dares Beach Road in Prince Frederick. They tell 7News they plan to be out in larger numbers Tuesday and beyond that if they are not given what they are asking for.
Drivers, who work for contractors funded by the county, tell 7News pay increases have been small while benefits have been cut. They say this school year the price of medical and dental benefits shot up, vision insurance cost money for the first time, and they lost their life insurance.
They also say they are only guaranteed 5.75 hours per day, not enough to be considered full-time.
“I feel like we’ve always been dismissed,” said Karen Pitcher, who has driven buses in Calvert County for 31 years. “We love our job. We love our kids. We’re sorry that it’s an inconvenience, but enough’s enough. Now we’ve got to do something and that’s why we’re here.”
“They need a living wage,” said Bowie Downs, who is both a bus driver and contractor. “You can’t survive on 18 dollars an hour for five and three-quarter hours a day. You do the math, and you just can’t pay all the bills.”
Drivers say pay starts at $18 an hour and maxes out at less than $24.
An email sent by school superintendent Daniel Curry Sunday warned parents of possible disruptions on Monday, also saying: “We want you to know that they are not school employees but employees of local bus contractors and they have not asked for meetings with the Calvert County Schools leadership team and, in fact, we have a meeting scheduled for drivers on Friday, October 15 when there is no school.”
Drivers say the meeting he mentioned appeared to have been scheduled in haste after the county school system learned of their walkout plans, and they were skeptical about whether it would actually take place.
The county public school system is warning parents to expect more issues on Tuesday, saying if a bus didn’t show up Monday, it likely won’t show up on Tuesday.
“If you have to take another day, two days, three days, or a week to make it better, that’s what you have to do,” said 30-year bus driver Robert King, who participated in Monday’s protest.
Calvert County has a bus status page on its website that parents can check in case they are experiencing delays.
