23.1 Purpose

This Article is intended to address issues which are unique to the unit members in the Transportation Department. This Article is not intended to preclude the application of the entire Agreement to the unit members of the Transportation Department. The terms and conditions of Article 10 – Hours of Employment and Overtime, are incorporated in this Article by reference.

23.2 Definitions

23.2.1 Base Time – The regularly assigned work hours of each individual bus driver.

23.2.2 Overbase Time – Driving time in excess of daily base time. Where the needs of the District allow, overbase time shall be assigned on a voluntary basis. Overbase time is paid at the regular rate of pay up to eight (8) hours.

23.2.3 Vacancy – A vacancy is defined as a base-time assignment which is identified by bus number, route, number of hours, and time schedule. The determination as to whether or not to fill a vacancy is within the discretion of the District.

23.2.4 Layover Time – Layover time is the time between regular runs that is less than thirty (30) minutes that a driver is not driving. Unit members will be paid for layover time which occurs between regular runs. Drivers may be expected to complete job related tasks during that time.

23.2.5 Field Trips – A field trip is any trip taken which requires driving outside the school district boundaries or any run which, for special circumstances, is designated as a field trip by the Transportation Manager.

23.2.6 Regular Runs – Regular runs are all daily home-to-school and school-to-home runs.

23.2.7 Special Runs – Special runs are all runs other than regular or field trips, including but not limited to the programs involving GATE, CDL, therapy, and Orangewood. Special runs shall be assigned primarily to drivers with regular runs with less than “base” hours in order to fill “base” time. Other special runs shall be assigned equitably to unit members except on an emergency basis.

23.2.8 Work Year – All bus drivers are assigned to a ten-month work year. A driver’s work year shall correspond to the length of the student year for their regularly assigned runs effective September to June. Those drivers assigned to drive students attending traditional year schools will finish their work year prior to those drivers assigned to transport students attending year round program schools. All drivers’ regular work year assignments shall conclude no later than June 30 of each year.

23.3 Assignments

23.3.1 Full-Time Employment

The maximum number of hours of regular full-time employment of a bus driver is eight (8) hours a day exclusive of lunch and forty (40) hours a week consisting of five (5) consecutive days. 62

23.3.2 Part-Time Employment and Overtime

The District may employ persons for lesser periods of time [less than eight (8) hours per day or five (5) days per week] and may, through authorized administrators, require and authorize bus drivers to work in excess of eight (8) hours in one (1) day and forty (40) hours in one (1) week. A non-Unit member shall not be assigned more than thirty (30) hours per week unless unit members are not available to drive.

23.3.3 Base Time

Each bus driver shall be assigned a minimum of four (4) fixed, regular and ascertainable hours (base time). The regular hours may be adjusted if the driver is given twenty-four (24) hour notice. Special Education runs do not require the twenty-four (24) hour advanced notice.

23.3.4 Split Shift

Base time may be assigned on a split-shift basis with separate starting and ending times according to the needs of the District.

23.3.5 Pool Drivers

The District shall maintain a roster of pool drivers who meet all the requirements established for regular drivers. Pool drivers shall be guaranteed a minimum of four (4) hours per day, with duties and schedules assigned at the discretion of the District.

23.4 Safety Inspection

Each bus driver’s base time shall include a fifteen (15)-minute pre-trip safety inspection period and a maximum per day of fifteen (15) minutes for cleaning the bus, unless otherwise directed.

23.5 Increase in Base Time

When a unit member’s work on regular runs is in excess of the driver’s base time for a period of twenty (20) consecutive days, the driver’s base time shall be increased except under the following circumstances:

23.5.1 Assignment of a route to fill a driver’s base time, not to exceed thirty (30) minutes of overbase time.

23.5.2 Temporarily assigned regular runs, such as overflow and special education runs. Such increases in base time assignments shall not exceed two (2) hours. Any increase in base time exceeding two (2) hours shall be subject to the provisions under 23.8.1 – Reassignment of Routes.

23.6 Reduction of Base Time

23.6.1 Voluntary Reduction

Reduction of regularly assigned driving time to a level below that of a driver’s base time may be invoked with the written approval of the driver affected.

23.6.2 Involuntary Reduction

If the driver does not consent, then any decreases in base-time hours must conform to Article 21 of this Agreement.

23.7 Retention of Assignment

Routes will be established by the District on an annual basis. Drivers will bid on their routes in accordance with the agreed upon procedures. After bidding, each driver will be asked if s/he is interested in rebidding, in order of seniority, once it is determined which route is open after all drivers of a specific base have chosen from the available routes in their base category.

At their assigned time to bid, interested drivers will have the opportunity to sign a form stating their desire to bid on open routes at the conclusion of the bidding process. Interested drivers will have to wait for such routes to open. If drivers do not wish to be eligible for such bids, they will check a box, thereby declining to re-bid, and sign the form. This will conclude their participation in the rebidding process.

23.8 Vacancies

23.8.1 Reassignment of Routes

Nothing herein prevents the District from reassigning bus routes and bus numbers as is necessary prior to determination of the existence of a vacancy. A bidding process utilizing date of hire for purposes of priority of selection shall be implemented. In the event that two (2) or more unit members have the identical date of hire, the tiebreaker shall be the greatest number of hours of District service.

23.8.2 Existence of Vacancy

A vacancy shall be filled when the District determines the need to hire a person for a set number of hours. The determination as to whether or not to fill a vacancy and the duties of the person to fill that vacancy are within the discretion of the District.

23.8.3 Notice

Each notice of vacancy shall be posted in clear view of all unit members and shall remain posted for at least five (5) days.

23.8.4 Application

An application form must be completed by any candidate interested in applying for a vacancy.

23.8.5 Selection

The determination as to whether or not to fill a vacancy shall be at the discretion of the district. In the event that the District’s decision is to solicit outside applicants for a vacancy, unit members with application forms on file will be afforded the option of competing on an equal basis with all other candidates in the selection process. In filling vacancies, driving record, skills, knowledge, abilities, work habits, and job performance will be the factors considered. If the above considerations are equal, preference shall be given to the most senior unit member that applied.

23.8.6 Qualifications

All applicants shall be deemed equally qualified to compete for vacancies consistent with the provisions of their California Special Driver Certificate.

23.9 Mandatory Drug Testing

Employees will be compensated at their hourly rate of pay for time required to participate in the District mandatory drug-testing program.

23.10 Field Trip Assignments

23.10.1 Roster of Volunteers

The Transportation Manager shall maintain an ongoing roster of drivers volunteering to drive on field trips and will maintain and post a summation of the accumulated field trip hours of each driver on a weekly basis. 64

23.10.2 Assignment Procedures

The following conditions shall prevail:

23.10.2.1 All drivers are eligible consistent with the provisions of their California Special Driver Certificate.

23.10.2.2 The Transportation Manager shall, whenever possible, assign each trip no less than seventy-two (72) hours prior to scheduled departure time.

23.10.2.3 The trip shall be assigned to the eligible and available driver having the least chargeable field trip hours. Driver Instructors and Mechanics may be considered eligible and available on non-duty time with compensation to be paid at the Bus Driver rate of pay.

23.10.2.4 Refusal of a properly assigned trip shall result in the assessment of the trips on the eligibility roster to both the refusing driver and the actual driver. No assessment shall be made to either driver for a trip assigned during the winter and spring recess periods.

23.10.2.5 In the event the Transportation Manager is unable to provide at least seventy-two (72) hours’ advance notice to the eligible driver, refusal to take the field trip will not cause the hours to be charged to the refusing driver.

23.10.2.6 When a field trip exceeds a driver’s base, the Transportation Manager may assign the field trip driver’s regular runs, if interrupted by the field trip, to a regular, pool, or substitute driver if it best serves the interest of the District.

23.11 Driver Training

Bargaining unit members shall be compensated at their hourly rate of pay for any training required by the District that is conducted beyond their regularly assigned basetime. Compensation will not be paid for driver requested or voluntary training.