An article by "Transportation Insider" was posted on Facebook regarding NY's attempt to recruit bus drivers. Reading the comments under that article shows why a lot of people don't want to do this job ... and it wasn't just the pay. For instance (you're going to like the last one):
"70 drivers quit right before school started in Chicago - not about pay, it's about the mandated vaccination shot"
"The worst part of the job is dealing with the entitled brats and their enabling parents. One needs to keep a corrections officer on the bus!"
"I was raised to respect people especially adults...these kids today have parents who are failing them by letting them think they are entitled!!!"
"The risk and liability working around kids it is not worth it for most jobs."
"Anyone can driver a school bus! But Not everyone can BE A BUS DRIVER!! Just saying!"
"CDL drivers dont want their freight to talk. Most parents dont even want to be around their kids because parents dont have time or even the will to teach respect or how to act....nope, and the pay isnt even good enough for me to pass on other cdl jobs."
"Not to mention, that's working with ~20 unvaccinated children every day in close quarters. To even be on a school bus right now is dangerous. How many bus drivers have died of COVID? Now imagine they were driving your kids to school before they had symptoms? It's a dangerous job right now for everyone involved. It is NOT worth $15 an hour to put your life and the lives of children, their families, and anyone else they come in contact with.
It's not just about the money. It's so much worse than that."
"We paid them like sh*t and treated them worse. Then when we expected them to ferry plague rats in the middle of a pandemic they all quit. Can you come fill the void, we promise to treat you... um... well... yea.. we're gonna do the same to you."
Read more ... Here's the Fb post ... https://www.facebook.com/TransportationInsider/posts/1211723262573308
I can deal with the students, I can deal with the parents, I can work through COVID. At the end of the day it's all about money. Pay the drivers what they are worth and mean to the industry and you'll get people coming into the job. This has to go from a job to a career mind site but if you're hitting us with 12 years for top pay and shitty starting pay people will leave and people won't come in. I believe the next contract is going to decide this companies future or if the city takes over. Got plenty of people here in their 20s 30s 40s. Gotta look out for your future
Apparently medical went up from 81 to 91
Gotta love that raise we got lol
Quote from: TheKid24 on September 24, 2021, 01:35:47 AM
Apparently medical went up from 81 to 91
Gotta love that raise we got lol
Is that for individual or family coverage? Either way, the deal is not too great for newer guys.
Quote from: Buzz on September 24, 2021, 10:39:43 AM
Quote from: TheKid24 on September 24, 2021, 01:35:47 AM
Apparently medical went up from 81 to 91
Gotta love that raise we got lol
Is that for individual or family coverage? Either way, the deal is not too great for newer guys.
Individual, let's be honest and put the cards on the table what is great here for the new guys......lol
Hopefully you younger drivers are applying for better city jobs and not relying on this job ( industry)
Actually the medical price is the same for a family or individual
Quote from: faceit on September 24, 2021, 01:24:11 PM
Hopefully you younger drivers are applying for better city jobs and not relying on this job ( industry)
Check your private message I just sent you something
Quote from: faceit on September 24, 2021, 01:24:11 PM
Hopefully you younger drivers are applying for better city jobs and not relying on this job ( industry)
Why you don't see this as a Long term job when the contract is up in 2022. I think a few things need to change to help look out for the future drivers and drivers working here 5-8 years on this new contract ?
Quote from: TheKid24 on September 24, 2021, 03:35:53 PM
Why you don't see this as a Long term job when the contract is up in 2022. I think a few things need to change to help look out for the future drivers and drivers working here 5-8 years on this new contract ?
This is not a job for a young guy. This is where you come after you retire from the city in 20 years. Take every city (or even state) test you possibly can. Wish I had.
Quote from: Buzz on September 24, 2021, 03:53:55 PM
Quote from: TheKid24 on September 24, 2021, 03:35:53 PM
Why you don't see this as a Long term job when the contract is up in 2022. I think a few things need to change to help look out for the future drivers and drivers working here 5-8 years on this new contract ?
This is not a job for a young guy. This is where you come after you retire from the city in 20 years. Take every city (or even state) test you possibly can. Wish I had.
Hey buzz check your PMs I just sent you something....
I realize things are expensive . It will only get worse if this stimulus goes through . The fact of the matter is even without a bad/wreckless administration in power the company (any company ) is getting hit with more costs . I have always believed transporting "precious Cargo " is a noble job . When you stretch out the contract and punch holes in all the benefits the senior guys have you have to
Be making profits . Hopefully this gets addressed in the next contract . It has to . Even senior guys that think they aren't effected are wrong . What's going to happen if the industry shrinks and less people pay into the pension fund ? The money is there if you can order more new buses and make a beautiful new gas station, and it is beautiful. I know it isn't easy to run a company but when the company makes a lot you have to pay a liveable wage . We live in NYC and costs not just business but personal are rising . If the overall attitude is "this isn't for young guys " and more people who are retired jump on to do a "quick 10"( not jealous good for them) but their attitude is less about what someone new might want to
Make this a first career . Some aren't I get it . I have always looked at this job as we stand together and if we fracture we fall. That's why we have a union . When we split and had different contracts it pits uS against each other . Just like in the political world. They have people fighting over Race , vaccinations, religion etc . It starts with Unity
Mirrorcheck perfectly said
Mirror check I couldn't agree more. Ive been on record saying at what point does the company look out for the future of the company while taking care of the senior guys and I've always gotten attacked for it. "You don't know what you're fighting for" "you're fighting for things you never had/lost" "you gotta put your time in." Listen I'm all for seniority and putting time in BUT when the new contract people have a shitty contract and we have a chance to make it better why wouldn't we voice our opinions. I never said anything wrong here to disrespect anyone that's here longer than me or anyone else. For some people this is their career job. We have people in their 20s 30s 40s to that are here 2 years or 5 years or longer. There is a new contract coming up so why wouldn't we want to better our futures bu voicing up for top pay to go from say 12 to 7 years. People on the new contract aren't bad guys and I agree by having two contracts the company is dividing us because all we want is a fair shake just like you guys had over your time here. You senior guys would be doing and saying the exact same thing as we are if you were in our shoes but we have to stop attacking new contract people and taking it as a threat or offending by us wanting a better contract with better pay especially during these times knowing our position is high in demand. Let's be honest the company can't get people to stay because the contract sucks/the starting pay sucks along with now medical going up and they can't get anyone to come in as a driver for those reasons too. I think this contract will make it break the company's future or be bought out by the city. The money is there to pay us drivers what we deserve. Again new contract people aren't the bad guys especially the ones that are making a career out of this. As I've always said protect the future and take care of the seniors. Stop dividing us
I don't think anybody disagrees that this contract sucks for newer people. Sooner or later contractors will realize they have to sweeten the pot if they want to attract and keep new drivers. I don't know how much worse the shortage has to get for them to come to that realization.
Some years ago the NYPD lowered the starting salary for rookies to 25K a year. They could hardly get anybody to take the test. It took a few years, but the city finally realized they had to offer better. They did, and they were able to recruit new people.
That day will have to come to this industry sooner or later.
Thank you Face it . Appreciate that
The kid I couldn't agree more . The one thing we all have is a vested interest in that pension fund . I do think like Buzz says THAT reality has to be recognized sooner then later . I'm sure the company wants to make their money. "If your not expanding you are dying" some people live by that . I get it to a point . Your best asset IS your drivers . They make your company move. We are not bank tellers that can be cut because more people get direct deposit. We are special. We have to keep a clean drug test, keep our medical and health up, make sure kids are safe and accounted for , take care of a bus because let's be honest the fines are out of hand even for a senior driver . These fines are based on the company take off the city not a driver much less a junior driver . For what you start with who wants to stay with that ? Crazy
Buzz I agree hopefully something good comes out of this . I know a guy walked off . I happened to know him and I called him. He said you gotta be kidding me I got to wait all that time to add my wife and kid on medical ??? I said I know . I wasn't gonna blow smoke Up his a$$. Let's see what happens .
The blame for this contract does NOT solely lie on the contractors. The membership at the time was heavily persuaded by our Union representatives to accept this contract, I was there, Those who voted yes were extremely shortsighted and did not realize what this will do to their future. It will stall a pension increase, and may even reduce pensions at some point. Health benefits will also be affected. All of the "extra work" being earned is not contributing "extra" to the pension or health funds in any way, a full time driver on those runs would be contributing accordingly. Hopefully, next contract the "legacy" members will think a little bit more thoroughly about their future. Hopefully!
Good point I laugh at the guys that take the extra work when this is their only career. I don't fault them for taking the money but it's Penny wise dollar foolish in the long run. It's greed from so many angles and the $hit runs downhill.
I was told if you say no to extra work they then mess with your run or bus like you really can't say no if they ask you and you don't have a valid reason to say no.
As far as the contract is concerned all I'm looking for is top
Pay to be cut in half and not to take 5 years to get all these holidays the way it's broken down.
So how does it work they come to us for suggestions and they bring it to the company ?
They need to make the job attractive for people on the new contract to stay and new hires coming in. Again as I said you have people taking this job and it's their career job, gotta make it worth to make it a career job for some people. But we shall see in 2022, all I know is that something's gotta change for the better.
It's unfortunate that this Union is short drivers but in the meantime there are plenty of people that are willing to do the extra work because they can use the money. So if you refuse extra work believe me no one is going to use that as a reason to change your run or bus. My opinion that's just people starting rumors.
Quote from: TheKid24 on September 25, 2021, 10:59:28 PM
As far as the contract is concerned all I'm looking for is top
Pay to be cut in half and not to take 5 years to get all these holidays the way it's broken down.
So how does it work they come to us for suggestions and they bring it to the company ?
Yeah ... they ask for suggestions. Doesn't mean shit.
I'm thinking this: The contractors got a new 5-year contract last September ... after the city broke the previous one. The terms of that contract will basically determine what the owners will be willing to offer us.
If the city realizes that there has to be a better deal for new hires, they should be willing to renegotiate their contract with the owners and pay extra to them for the purpose of increasing pay and benefits to new people in addition to their existing terms. What ever those increases might be could be added to the contract in the form of a pass-along ... much like they do with the cost of having matrons.
So in other words, whatever the additional money the city gives to the contractor would be passed along to the drivers without the owners making any additional profit.
I don't know if this is feasible, but it's just a thought I had.
Quote from: PROUD MEMBER on September 26, 2021, 05:43:27 PM
It's unfortunate that this Union is short drivers but in the meantime there are plenty of people that are willing to do the extra work because they can use the money. So if you refuse extra work believe me no one is going to use that as a reason to change your run or bus. My opinion that's just people starting rumors.
Well, if the extra work means you won't be getting into the yard until 6 p.m. I can see some people refusing it. You can't even get fuel then. (Which is ridiculous.)
Quote from: 04012013 on September 25, 2021, 10:32:13 PM
The blame for this contract does NOT solely lie on the contractors. The membership at the time was heavily persuaded by our Union representatives to accept this contract, I was there, Those who voted yes were extremely shortsighted and did not realize what this will do to their future. It will stall a pension increase, and may even reduce pensions at some point. Health benefits will also be affected. All of the "extra work" being earned is not contributing "extra" to the pension or health funds in any way, a full time driver on those runs would be contributing accordingly. Hopefully, next contract the "legacy" members will think a little bit more thoroughly about their future. Hopefully!
You make some very valid points.
The problem is, once the contractors have given their "best and final offer," the only alternative to rejecting a contract is going on strike.
The union knew there was no way a strike vote would have passed.