by James Parks, Aug 22, 2007

They carry our most precious cargo—our children—to and from school each day. Now in Indianapolis, the workers who drive school buses have the opportunity to be treated with the respect, pay and dignity they deserve. Some 93 percent of the nearly 400 workers at First Student transportation in Indianapolis voted yesterday for representation by AFSCME. 

The school bus drivers, monitors and mechanics are responsible for safely transporting thousands of Indianapolis Public School children from home to school and back each day. The workers are upset over low wages, no sick or vacation days, arbitrary management decisions and poor health insurance benefits.  

First Student bus driver Patricia Hughley says: 

We’re proud of the work we do and are committed to the families and children in our community. But we have serious issues that deserve serious attention, and First Student has largely ignored us. 

Fellow driver Grigette Yancey says:  

We have the future in our hands. We deserve to be rewarded for our skill and experience. We need health care we can afford so we can take care of our families and fair wages so we can keep up with the cost of living.

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