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Martha thompson drunk bus driver1/18/2024 ![]() ![]() "It’s just so contrary to the island community, of how the community sticks together," Townes said. Townes expressed disappointment at the VTA's choice to bring in new workers to drive during the strike. The company has brought non-unionized temporary drivers to the island, and plans to provide 100% of its full, normal service along all bus routes on July Fourth. I assume they have to pay them salaries, which will far exceed anything that we’re asking for," he said.Īs of Monday, the VTA said 85% of the bus routes in the system were in service. "They just hired 15 or 20 out of state people, that I’m sure they had to pay their transportation up, they had to pay their housing, they have to pay their food. Townes said of this assertion from the VTA that he has "no idea where they get those numbers." The release also states the strikers’ demands are not financially feasible and would cause “a devastating service cut of 50 - 60% of our existing services.” “The ATU, a powerful off-island union which has shown little regard for our community and the riders of our transit system, has engaged in a misinformation campaign,” the release states. However, the Authority issued a press release on Monday that slammed the Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents the striking bus drivers as part of ATU Local 1548, and attempted to debunk rumors circulating on social media. A hundred percent.”Īdministrators at the VTA did not respond to multiple requests for comment. "There has not been one person I have met that is not behind us. … That’s the kind of community this is," said Townes, who is a year-round island resident and Martha’s Vineyard native. I’m getting calls and texts until one, two in the morning. ![]() Townes said the strikers are seeing mass support from year-round residents of the resort island. Sixteen of the 21 full-time drivers are striking, according to Townes, who has worked at the VTA for 24 years. The strikers also want an affordable family insurance plan, pay raises, and holiday pay. They want an agreed-upon system of seniority, which would allow the most-tenured bus drivers to pick the shifts they want. ![]() Richard Townes, the leader of the Vineyard Transit Authority bus driver strike, said the strikers have a handful of key demands. We are incredibly thankful that no one sustained injuries during this frightening incident.Bus drivers on Martha's Vineyard entered their fifth day of striking Tuesday, just two days before the island will flood with visitors for the July Fourth holiday. We will do a thorough review of our transportation vendors to ensure that student safety is always prioritized. "We appreciate the support of Fairfax County law enforcement, who are welcoming students at a nearby training facility as they await transportation back to the school. "All children were evaluated by emergency medical services following the incident and there are no injuries reported," he wrote. Ferebee released a statement on the matter thanking Murch Elementary teachers and staff who ensured the students' safety on their field trip. The drivers of those buses also did not have their commercial driver’s licenses.ĭCPS Chancellor Lewis D. Two additional buses that stopped along with the bus Reynolds was driving were taken out of service after safety violations were found. 12 higher than the legal limit in Virginia.įOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick discovered that after police arrived they found Reynolds did not have a commercial driver’s license and that he had a prior DWI charge. When authorities arrived, the students were transported to the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy where their parents were notified of the incident. Once he did, he stopped at a parking lot in Chantilly, Virginia. ![]() Teachers on the bus had to force Reynolds to stop driving. ![]()
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