Veteran union driver to improve the state’s school bus safety program

Executive Secretary of the North Coast Area Labor Federation, Davida Russell, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss her position on Ohio’s newly created school bus safety committee. Russell discussed her initial reaction to the governor’s appointment and what the goals and process will look like for the committee.

It’s been 42 years since Russell began driving school buses as a career. Russell has never shied away from being proud of her career choice. She’s found it keeps her more in touch with the community she serves. Recently, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Russell to the newly formed school bus safety committee. Russell explained that she initially thought it was a joke when the governor’s office called her. 

In the first meeting of the new committee, Russell was asked to reach out to union and non-union drivers across the state to collect their thoughts on possible safety improvements. As part of this research, Russell hosted a Zoom meeting to gather as much information as possible. Since the meeting, Russell has sent out a questionnaire to drivers to add more information about possible safety needs. The outreach hopes to identify the primary safety concerns that need to be addressed and make school buses safer.

Each subsequent meeting has reviewed different aspects of a school bus driver's job, the construction of a bus, training needed for drivers and more. Together with the data collected from drivers, Russell will present the findings to the committee in December. This presentation will help to inform a panel of drivers of the issues, and this panel will work together to find the safety aspects that need to be resolved immediately. Beyond the immediate safety concerns, the committee will then develop a long-term plan for continuous improvement of both school buses and drivers, Russell said.

For more from Russell, please listen to the entire episode above.