Saturday, January 26, 2013

Karma WILL Get You, My Pretty

We are facing a probable bus driver strike in our county. We have no idea when it will be BUT, everyone has to come in an hour early on Monday IF it happens AND, possibly, stay as late as 6:00 PM until it's over.  Right now it's voluntary. Yes. I volunteered. I'm an idiot.

What else was I going to do? You know, there are a lot of ways to hold people hostage. And when children are the hostages, I get pissed. You don't even want to know what I think the powers that be should do. When people hold kids hostage or use them as pawns...that is wrong in EVERY SINGLE WAY.

It's not that I think bus driving is easy. It isn't. I wouldn't want the job.

It's not that I disagree with their demands---or the ones I know about. I don't really.

It's their method.
  • It's them putting themselves before CHILDREN. 
  • It's their USING the CHILDREN for personal gain. 
  • It's their willingness to endanger the CHILDREN and rob them of their education.
I can only imagine what might happen to some parents' jobs when they can't get there on time and then have to leave early. And what if they decide to just leave their kids at home alone because they have no other options? Go ahead, call me a worry-wart. Because I am.

When children are being robbed of so many things these days, those of us who can maintain normalcy, structure, safety, security, etc. SHOULD do just that. 

Yes, our school (along with many others) is filled with caring, compassionate educators who will band together and do what is right by our students. And we do it willingly and without complaint.

But I expect that attitude from everyone who works with children. EVERYONE.

All I will say (cause I have a really LOT to say to them) to the bus powers-that-be is- Karma dudes. She's a Bee-otch. And she WILL get you.

Have y'all ever faced a situation like this?

9 comments:

  1. My friends daughter is in her last year of university, expected to graduate in May. The university is ready to strike. Students will lose the entire year, not to mention tuition. So unfair

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  2. As much as this is bad, if people don't do something like this no one listens. Now it's not something I would do and you know I drive bus. I'm sure they've already had tons of talks because striking isn't something fun or even taken lightly (at least not up here). One of our schools did the strike thing (the teachers) and the schools that neighbored this school opened their doors so the kids could keep going and not lose anything and all that happened was the striking school lost a big chunk of their students. Striking isn't the way, not when it comes to kids but what is a way so that employers listen to employees? Darned if you do, darned if you don't.
    I hope that they get their stuff together and all works out well.
    Blessings!

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  3. Back home in Ontario, the teachers are on rotating strikes, a day here, a day there, on again, off again. No extra ciricular activities, no outings, no proms. Yes, it's always the children that suffer when the adults are trying to get what they feel is theirs.
    Rosemary

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  4. Kim- That's terrible! I just don't understand. I know that, a lot of the time, people have legitimate reasons for striking BUT, I don't understand how they believe it's right to make their point by ruining the lives of others.

    Julie- I totally understand their demands and their frustration. What I don't understand is how they can look themselves in the mirror when they KNOW that they have affected children in a negative way. Seriously, there just HAS to be a better way. I did think of you when all this started and wondered how it was going up your way.

    Rosemary- Amen to that. Rotating strikes---now that's a new one to me.

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  5. Luckily, when our kids were young, we had no situation like this that I can recall...but hey, that was long ago. And as you say, to use the children for their own personal gain is all kinds of wrong. When you get down to it, all strikes, are the wrong approach. It tends to put everything on hold, and making others suffer in one way or another.

    I wouldn't volunteer to drive a bus, 'cause I know I couldn't...but I would surely volunteer to drive them in my own vehicle...even if it's back and forth to take a few at a time and return for others.

    By the way, let me know how your/and your hubby's bird feeder wreath turns out.

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  6. As you say, putting their needs before the kids is totally wrong.

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  7. Well,I don't know why they're striking but i can imagine is the same plight anywhere. Driving a school bus can be a maddening job, and like you I wouldn't want to do it. That said, I'm sure the bus drivers are thinking of their own families and kids when they strike, if they're striking for higher wages. So, although striking is never nice, I think the shame should be with the school board/district or whoever hires the drivers because they're only protecting their pockets and don't give a crap about kids when they are the very people elected to care about the kids. Oh well, that's my 2 cents anyway, go to sleep early tonight, ok? :)

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  8. Anni- I would volunteer to drive them too but employees can't. When I was just a parent that would have been no problem. Go figure. I'll keep you posted on the feeder!

    Kim- Yes indeed!

    Alessandra- The only two things I know is that they want $30/hour and unemployment during the summer. Which sort of sounds like they want full time pay for part time work. And they knew the work was part time when they took the jobs. I'd like to have $30/hour too! The drivers are hired by the bus company that we contract for services. The beef is not with our county but with the bus company. Personally, I think the county should just get another company.

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  9. That's sad! I hope the situation gets resolved soon.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! It makes me feel connected to everyone even though we may live far apart! Have a wonderful day!

 
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