RICHMOND, Va. — Dozens of Richmond Public Schools (RPS) bus drivers gathered at City Hall Tuesday evening, expressing frustration over recent changes to their two-hour activity pay structure. The protest occurred during a school board meeting, where drivers voiced their concerns about the suspension of this pay, which they say could have significant consequences for both their livelihoods and the students they serve.
The two-hour activity pay, a provision in the bus drivers’ contract, had guaranteed drivers two hours of compensation for voluntary after-school shifts. However, recent changes have left drivers questioning the school district’s priorities.
“I feel that the kids are going to be affected the most if they do take away the two hours,” said Chaniqua Jones, a veteran RPS bus driver. Jones, along with several other drivers, emphasized that the suspension of this pay would have a direct impact on extracurricular programs, as many of them rely on bus transportation to get students to and from after-school activities.
Another driver, Lorreen Thompson, pointed out the strain that this could place on the district’s already overburdened transportation system. “You don’t have enough drivers to take the kids back and forth to school, let alone do after-school,” she said.
The controversy surrounding the two-hour pay follows a 2024 report from the RPS auditor, which claimed that paying drivers for two full hours of voluntary work may be in violation of Virginia’s overtime laws. The auditor argued that not all after-school activities required a full two-hour shift, suggesting that the practice could be excessive.
In response, the drivers and their union, Local 804, have vehemently pushed back against these claims. Keon Shim, business manager for Local 804, called the auditor’s report misleading and argued that the law had been misinterpreted. “The auditor made some reports based on the bus drivers’ pay practices — and he has made some false claims,” Shim stated.
The union insists that the pay practices did not violate any overtime laws, as bus drivers are salaried employees, not hourly workers. They argue that the two-hour pay had been a long-standing part of the contract, compensating drivers for their extra efforts beyond regular duties.
For many bus drivers, this issue is just the latest in a long-standing struggle over compensation. Jackie Griffin, a longtime RPS driver, noted that many of the drivers have been raising concerns about their pay since before the COVID-19 pandemic. “They got us by the love in our hearts to volunteer to do this after-school stuff, because it’s not mandatory,” Griffin explained.
Despite the drivers’ concerns, the school board did not address the issue during the meeting, leaving many questions unanswered. Specifically, it remains unclear why school officials believe drivers would be willing to work extra hours without additional compensation.
Union leaders have made it clear that they will continue advocating for the restoration of the two-hour activity pay. They believe it is essential not only for the financial well-being of the drivers but also for maintaining the integrity of after-school programs that rely on bus transportation.
As the dispute continues, it’s evident that this issue could spark wider conversations about compensation for support staff in public education systems. For now, the bus drivers remain determined to fight for the recognition and pay they believe they deserve.
