LOCUST VALLEY — CSEA’s Locust Valley School District Transportation Unit members are experiencing a bus driver shortage that is having a big impact on workers.
The group is currently down seven drivers, a big hit to a 14-member unit. As a result, workers have to take on additional bus routes and work longer days.
Drivers cite recent retirements and health concerns as two reasons for the lack of drivers.
Bosak
“I think the shortage started post COVID, when people became more concerned about being in close proximity to others,” said Locust Valley School District Transportation Unit Vice President Glenn Bosak. “The combination of that and the low rate of pay; it’s a bad combination.”
To accommodate the children on all bus routes, bus drivers are now doubling up on routes and covering if someone is out sick.
The district has begun outsourcing the unit’s work to compensate for the low number of drivers.
Pascucci
“Outsourcing our work is costing the district a lot more money in paying the drivers and insuring the drivers than it would if they filled the vacancies with CSEA members,” said CSEA Locust Valley School District Transportation Unit President Doreen Pascucci.
Bus drivers believe the lack of pay, the part-time status, and possibly the drug testing that is preventing the district from finding more qualified candidates.
“Bus drivers are drug tested and a lot of people these days want to experiment with marijuana. That is a no-no for drivers,” said Pascucci. “It is our responsibility to get the kids home safe.”
Health insurance, which is determined by the district where you work and the number of hours you drive, is also unavailable to some workers because they may be ineligible for the benefits.
Members believe the low rate of pay is the real deal breaker for potential applicants.
“We need a higher rate of pay in order to attract drivers that will stay with the district for a longer period of time,” said Bosak. “Right now, we’re mostly attracting retired people who won’t [work here]that long.”
Workers would like to recruit on their own, but they find that difficult to do when the district often includes information in their classified ads that are not in conjunction with the unit’s contract. Workers then have to tell district officials that the ad must be pulled and corrected.
Best case scenario, unit members would like more in-house drivers.
“We live in the communities where we work,” said Pascucci. “We want the best people possible to help the children and families in our community.”
— Wendi Bowie
