Update: Bus drivers may be fired

More than 50 percent of Columbus (Miss.) Municipal School District’s bus drivers walked off the job over pay issues Monday afternoon, which had the district scrambling to get students homes and arrange for Tuesday’s return to school. Bus drivers, notified of changes to their pay and hours during a Monday morning meeting with CMSD Transportation Director Willie Stewart, arrived at Columbus High School around 1 p.m. The high school is the staging area for the district’s buses. Instead of preparing for the afternoon’s route, a group of 21 drivers met outside the school property refusing to work. (Source: The Dispatch 08/25/20) https://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=83130 UPDATE: The (Columbus) Dispatch offered an Editorial page “Opinion” on the bus drivers’ walk out, which primarily faults the school system for failing in advance to notify drivers that their hours would be cut due to only a shortened school week and only 60 percent of students attending classes at schools.) Edited version of “Opinion” follows: The pandemic has caused the system a great deal of disruptions. Yet students/parents who rely on the district’s transportation system, a new stress emerged, “one that better communication would likely have resolved.” Parents were notified by text and forced to make alternative plans for their children. “The dispute emerged” when drivers were notified at Monday’s pickup site that they “would not be paid for a five-day, six-hour-per day work week” because the schools are not open on Wednesdays and classes were only open two days a week. Thus, the work day was shortened to 4 ½ hours from 6. Fewer students are riding the buses. “Bus drivers who thought they would be paid for 30 hours a week are now being paid for 18 hours. That’s a 40 percent cut in pay; we can understand why drivers object.” The district maintains it cannot pay hourly employees for hours not worked. That’s a valid point. “Where we fault the district is that it apparently failed to communicate that clearly to the bus drivers before the school year started. It wasn’t until a Monday morning meeting that bus drivers were told of the reduced hours, just days before the first monthly pay period is to end. How the bus drivers would be paid should have been communicated before the first route was driven on Aug. 6.” (Dispatch “Opinion” link 08/25/20) https://www.cdispatch.com/opinions/article.asp?aid=83129 UPDATE2 (Source: The Dispatch 08/30/20) Columbus Municipal School District intends to fire 21 bus drivers who walked off the job last week over what the drivers said was an abrupt reduction of hours. Fifteen of those drivers met with The Dispatch [newspaper]. Each said they received a call from the district indicating they were being recommended for termination upon board approval.