On this morning’s Open Lines show with Ebony Chappel and Cameron Ridle, IPS bus drivers spoke out for the first time following a massive call off on Friday which resulted in the district cancelling bus service for thousands of students.
(Interview starts at 19:32)
Two former employees, Cathryn Beeler and Yolonda Gray, took to the air to speak on behalf of local drivers. When asked if there would be enough bus drivers to run routes for Monday, Gray responded that it was “to be determined…”
Drivers tell ‘Open Lines’ hosts, Ridle and Chappel, that the transportation staffers who called off work for Friday did so days in advance. They say the narrative that they had a sudden mass call off Thursday night into Friday morning, is incorrect.
Beeler and Gray said the drivers and monitors are using their allotted sick days out of fear that they will not be compensated for them at the end of the year.
A number of drivers have already called off for Monday, March 2nd. Drivers say IPS leaders were made aware impending call offs for March 2nd, as early as February 27, 2020.
Shortly after our interview aired, IPS released a statement urging parents to seek alternative transportation options for their students tomorrow morning.
This story will be updated.
‘Open Lines’ airs Sunday Mornings at 8:00 on 106.7 WTLC and HOT 96.3
