Richmond school bus drivers fired after speaking about overtime pay
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A union says Richmond Public Schools fired five bus drivers after speaking up about overtime pay at a school board meeting.
- But the district says the firings came after an unlawful strike.
The big picture: It's the latest in a multiyear controversy over whether RPS bus drivers are being paid overtime for hours they haven't worked, which an audit found last year has cost the district about $150,000 per month.
- The school bus drivers' union, LiUNA Local 804, has disputed the allegations.
- It's a point of contention that's led contract negotiations between RPS and the union to stall.
Driving the news: The union has launched a petition asking the school board to reinstate the drivers.
- The union is also considering suing RPS, alleging that the district has violated the workers' freedom-of-speech and freedom-of-assembly rights, The Richmonder reports.
An RPS spokesperson told Axios that the district can confirm the drivers are no longer employed but can't comment on personnel matters.
The Richmonder obtained copies of a memo and email RPS superintendent Jason Kamras sent last month to the school board and a parent, respectively.
- In them, Kamras wrote that the five now-fired bus drivers said they "would not complete their after-school bus routes," which affected thousands of students, to attend the April 8 school board meeting.
- Kamras added that an RPS investigation found it amounted to an unlawful strike.
What they're saying: Chris Hollins, the union's assistant manager, denied RPS' characterization, telling The Richmonder, "It would be outlandish to think they would formulate a strike and compromise the integrity of their jobs."