Eagle Pass Independent School District Bus Drivers Protest at District Headquarters Requesting Full-Time Hours After Being Reduced Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2022
On Monday, January 31, 2022, approximately 30 Eagle Pass Independent School District (EPISD) Bus Drivers and family members exercised their first amendment right of free speech to protest the reduction of their work hours during the COVID-19 Pandemic and request full-time work hours in order to make a fair and reasonable salary to afford the rising costs of living expenses.
An EPISD bus driver participating at the protest stated there are approximately 80-90 bus drivers working for the local school district.
The EPISD bus drivers work hours were reduced to about 20-25 hours per week due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but have not had their former full-time hours restored. Bus drivers expressed their concerns that the part-time hours are not sufficient to earn a fair and reasonable salary to afford the rising costs of living expenses, demanding they have their former hours restored.
EPISD Superintendent Samuel Mijares was not at the District Offices during the first amendment demonstration as he was reportedly out of town.
A taxpayer reported that the EPISD received over $60 million from the federal government under President Biden’s American Rescue Act to assist the local district meet its COVID-19 pandemic expenses. The taxpayer reported that salary increases were awarded to some employees from these federal government funds.
The EPISD bus drivers simply want more hours to work so they can make more money to afford the rising costs of living expenses. Most EPISD bus drivers, if not all, are part-time workers, said the taxpayer. The taxpayer suggested the EPISD bus drivers be made full-time employees and be paid employee benefits such as health insurance and retirement benefits.
The EPISD bus drivers serve a critical role in transporting safely students from home to school and back to their homes, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic where they have exposed themselves to being infected with the coronavirus.
The EPISD bus drivers are requesting a meeting with Superintendent Samuel Mijares to express their requests and provide them a resolution of their reduced work hours.
