"These wheels will not move:" Bus drivers will not drive until demands met

Some Cumberland County parents had to find alternate plans to get their children to school and home again on Tuesday after dozens of bus drivers called out sick during a protest. The starting pay for drivers in the district is $12.21 an hour.
Posted 11/9/2021, 5:31:00 PM Updated 11/9/2021, 6:22:54 PM

>>> AND PFIZER WANTS TO EXPAND

AUTHORIZATION FOR BOOSTER SHOTS

TO INCLUDE ANYONE 18 AND OLDER.

WHEN THE FDA COULD CONSIDER THE

REQUEST.

>>> BREAKING NEWS, ABOUT 30

SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS ARE RALLYING

IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY.

I'M RENEE CHOU.

>> AND I'M JEFF HOGAN.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

THEY ARE DEMANDING BETTER PAY

AND BENEFITS, AND GILBERT BAYS

JOINS US LIVE WITH THE WORKERS.

GILBERT?

>> Reporter: JEFF, WE ARE IN

THE MIDST OF THE PROTEST OF THE

DRIVERS, AND WE ARE WAITING TO

GET THE NUMBER OF HOW MANY

CALLED IN SICK THIS MORNING,

AND WE FINALLY GOT THE NUMBER.

IT'S ABOUT 100 DRIVERS WHO DID

NOT SHOW UP TO TAKE THE KIDS TO

SCHOOLS.

THESE ARE EC, EXCEPTIONAL

CHILDREN DRIVERS, AND THEIR

DILEMMA IS DIFFERENT THAN THE

AVERAGE DRIVER.

AND YOU DRIVE EC BUSES.

WHAT IS THE ISSUE FOR YOU AND

THE DRIVERS BEHIND YOU?

>> THE ISSUE IS JUST BECAUSE WE

DRIVE BUSES DOESN'T MEAN WE DO

THE REGULAR BUS DRIVERS.

WE CALL OURS CNAs WITH CDL.

>> Reporter: WHAT DO YOU DO?

>> WE GO DOOR TO DOOR TO PICK

THE CHILDREN UP.

WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH

WHEELCHAIRS.

WE HAVE TO BE CERTIFIED AND

ADMINISTER EPIPENS.

GOD FORBID, A KID HAS A SEIZURE

YOU HAVE TON WHICH SEIZURE AND

WHAT TO DO WITH THE SEIZURE.

>> Reporter: YOU ARE PAID THE

SAME AS OTHER BUS DRIVERS?

>> WE ARE PAID THE SAME AMOUNT

AS OTHER BUS DRIVERS.

>> Reporter: YOU DID NOT TAKE

THE KIDS TO SCHOOL THIS

MORNING.

WILL YOU TAKE THEM TO SCHOOL

TOMORROW?

>> NO, SIR.

>> Reporter: WHAT WILL IT TAKE

TO GET THE DRIVERS BACK TO

SCHOOL?

>> WHAT IT WILL TAKE IS FOR

THEM TO PAY US WHAT WE ARE

WORTH.

THAT'S WHAT TELL TAKE FOR THE

WHEELS TO MOVE AND FOR OUR

CHILDREN BECAUSE WE LOVE OUR

KIDS.

BUT WE, FOR US, WE HAVE TO

STAND OUT HERE AND SEE HOW WE

ARE TREATED.

>> Reporter: IS THAT TRUE FOR

ALL OF YOU?

>> YES.

>> YES.

>> Reporter: SO THE EC BUS

DRIVERS WILL NOT BE DRIVING