Hartford's School Bus Workers Speak Out for Livable Wages

Strengthening and Improving the Living Wage Ordinance

 

Local Union President Mike O'Brien, School Bus Monitor Sonia Viera, Bus Driver Verna Montgomery, Monitor Hector Diaz, and Staff Rep Rich Barlow After Testifying to Hartford's Living Wage Task Force

In 1999, Council 760 members working for student transportation contractors to the Hartford Board of Education took the lead on moving elected officials to pass a Living Wage Ordinance. Despite enormous resistance from the companies and the Board, we won recognition of the law for the district's school bus drivers and monitors, "driving up standards" and raising the economic security for hundreds of working families. 

Earlier this year, Mayor Eddie Perez recommended to the City's Court of Common Council that a task force be established to strengthen the ordinance. Our members have joined a coalition of community advocates to support it, and are speaking out now to ensure that the law is doing what it was intended to: lift more low-wage workers out of poverty and enable them to raise their families in Hartford.

 Blog entry with report-back and news coverage of August 20 public hearing

 Press Release announcing members testifying at Hartford Task Force hearing

  Blog entry on progress of Living Wage Task Force

 Worksite leaflet mobilizing members for the Mayor's Living Wage Task Force hearing

 Testimony of Chapter I96 President Stephanie Chisholm

 Hartford Living Wage Working Group purpose & members