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news
Top Member

Canada
2951 Posts

Posted - 06/05/2007 :  03:48:13 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Opinion / Editorial

June 5, 2007 - Hartford Courant, CT -

More than 40 percent of all private sector workers in Connecticut do not receive any paid sick days, and in the predominantly low-wage service sector - like bus drivers - the number is much higher.

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Sam
Advanced Member

United States
390 Posts

Posted - 06/10/2007 :  11:31:12 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Wow, I can totally see that happening. We're fortunate in that we get 9 paid sick days per year, 3 of which can be used for "personal leave," ie, not sick days. We can accumulate unlimited sick days from year to year, but only ever have 3 days available as personal. Any unused leave (sick or personal) rolls over to the next year as sick leave.

HOWEVER, with our driver shortage due to the choice program there is an incredible amount of pressure for everyone to come to work every day. One driver in the county felt the pressure so much that she neglected her health until she died of meningitis at age 32. The rumors were that she had been told if she missed any more work because she was sick that she would lose her job. Our dispatchers have since been instructed to merely ask "Sick or personal?" when a driver calls in.
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KYKID
New Member

USA
7 Posts

Posted - 06/15/2007 :  07:13:58 AM  Show Profile  Visit KYKID's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Ok, no one knows the dangers on a route better than the person that drives it everday. Do we need to look at is it safer for that person to drive whenthey are not 100% or someone that is 100% that does not know the dangers on that specific route? We get 1 sick day per month. Low wage service sector? We get paid well per hour.
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JC Theriault
Top Member

Canada
1326 Posts

Posted - 06/15/2007 :  10:25:12 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
KYKID - I'd hope you'd carefully weigh out the options of having a sick driver on a route just because they know the route and any hazards versus a spare driver who is not sick and will probably be just as good at doing the route safely. I'd rather lose a day's pay compared to going on the road when I know it could be unsafe, especially if the condition got worse along the way.

And yes there are many, many school bus drivers who get paid below average wages. Consider yourselves lucky if you get paid decently.

JC

Edited by - JC Theriault on 06/15/2007 10:28:07 AM
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