Transit Union says failure to address unfair labor standards for motorcoach drivers continues to put passengers & drivers at risk
Media Contact: David Roscow, 202-537-1645 x 254
Washington, DC - Today’s NTSB ruling that driver fatigue caused the Bronx motorcoach accident that took 15 lives confirms that driver fatigue, the single largest cause of fatal intercity bus accidents, must be addressed in bus safety reform and legislation says the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU).
ATU called for passage of the Driver Fatigue Prevention Act, legislation introduced by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, which would extend the overtime protections of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to over-the-road drivers.
“We were not all surprised that the NTSB found that driver fatigue was the cause of the tragic Bronx crash that devastated 15 families,” says Larry Hanley, international president of ATU, which represents drivers at Greyhound and other intercity bus operators. “This is a long standing problem in this industry and until the FMSCA, American Bus Association, and Congress wake up and address this issue we are going to continue to see these grisly scenes of bus accidents on our highways.
“While the DOT’s more rigorous regulatory stings continue to take unscrupulous operators off the road, any serious proposal to clean up the discount bus industry unequivocally has to include an effective solution for driver fatigue. If we don’t, we’ll continue to put passengers and drivers at risk.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) itself has identified “driver fatigue as a contributing factor to fatal motorcoach accidents” and has added eliminating the problem as an issue on its Most Wanted List of Safety Improvements.
According to the ATU report Sudden Death Overtime, which highlights the issue of intercity bus accidents, the NTSB estimates that 36% of motorcoach crash fatalities over the past decade have been due to driver fatigue. It is the number one cause of fatal accidents, far above road conditions (2%) or inattention (6%).
Currently intercity bus drivers are exempt from these provisions and many are forced to work second jobs during their so-called “rest period” just to make ends meet. Under the Driver Fatigue Prevention Act, drivers would get paid fairly for the work they put in above 40 hours per week, making them less inclined to work other jobs while pushing their bodies to the limit.
“For decades the FLSA has covered 85 percent of American workers,” says Hanley. “In the intercity bus industry, the lack of guaranteed overtime pay after a 40-hour work week is a dangerous exception to the rule. Extending these protections to intercity bus drivers is not only the right thing to do; it’s the safe thing to do for our riders and our drivers.”
About the ATU
The Amalgamated Transit Union is the largest labor organization representing transit workers in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1892, the ATU today is comprised of over 190,000 members in 264 local unions spread across 44 states and nine provinces, including 3,000 workers at Greyhound Lines, Inc. Composed of busdrivers, light rail operators, maintenance and clerical personnel and other transit and municipal employees, the ATU works to promote transit issues and fights for the interests of its hard-working members.