The Deseret News recently commented about privatizing transportation in Salt Lake City School District, it's fascinating to see that a malfunctioning traffic signal can be used as a justification to replace experienced school bus drivers with minimum-wage earners fresh off the burger assembly line.
Safety in transporting our children should be the main concern. We all know you get what you pay for. Drivers in Salt Lake District are trained professionals who are committed to the safety and welfare of those students that they bus. They care about each one of those students every day. Patrons do not want their children being bused to school by inexperienced drivers willing to accept a minimum wage. A person accepting such employment is committed to one thing - finding another job.Privatization is not the savior of Salt Lake School District's financial problems; in fact it's more like another train bearing down on unwary administrators and citizens. Look a little closer at the claims.
Proponents claim a $1.1 million cash infusion from selling the buses. What happens after the sale? The district leases back its own buses. The yearly leasing fee is not based on district need but on profit for the company. If profits fall, short-lease rates go up. If in future years the district chooses to vacate the contract, the cost of repurchasing a fleet of buses is prohibitive. In essence, the contractors would be free to charge whatever they wanted.
Proponents claim a $500,000 savings in labor costs. Their figure is based on a bid that's over a year old. There is currently no offer on the table from an acceptable contractor.
What proponents never talk about is profit. They never talk about the money being hauled out of our community. They never talk about the heartless strategy of taking health insurance benefits away from employees who need them most. Our drivers are not paid richly. Their pay is comparable to other bus drivers throughout the state and UTA. Though the rate is between $10 $13 per hour, they average far under eight hours per day of working time for 180 days per year.
Employee insurance packages are expensive. There is no debate on that issue. If cost savings from the elimination of benefits are the ethical way to meet our educational needs, we should eliminate all benefits for all employees, teachers and administrators, not just for bus drivers.
Remember, the locomotive pulling the privatization issue is profit, not service. Don't be misled by false promises.
Carol Winters, president
Richard McGuire, deputy director
Utah School Employees Association