NHCS bus drivers rally for higher pay after 10K educators attend statewide protest
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — Days after a major educator walkout in Raleigh calling for higher pay, school bus drivers in the Cape Fear region are now speaking out with similar concerns.
More than 10,000 educators attended Friday’s rally at the state capital, according to the North Carolina Association of Educators. On Monday, several New Hanover County bus drivers gathered in Wilmington to call attention to what they say are low wages.
“We carry the most precious cargo in my opinion,” said Tammy Wilson, a New Hanover County bus driver who joined the protest on her day off.
Wilson said current pay does not reflect the responsibility of the job. According to New Hanover County Schools, bus drivers earn $18.87 an hour.
“Dump trucks make more an hour than we do, and they are carrying gravel and rock,” Wilson said.
She added that many drivers, including herself, have taken on second jobs to make ends meet.
“Nobody expected to be here five or six years without ever getting a raise, nobody expects that,” she said.
The demonstration follows broader calls from educators statewide for increased school funding and higher pay. Protesters in Raleigh urged lawmakers to pass a budget that boosts educator salaries.
“We are organized, we are mobilized and we are going to take our democracy back,” said Tamika Walker Kelly, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators.
Walker Kelly said the organization has filed a proposal that would halt certain corporate tax cuts and generate about $3 billion annually for public schools.
Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, echoed that message, urging public pressure on elected officials.
“Write to your member of Congress, and in fact write to every elected leader and demand that they fully fund our public schools,” Pringle said.
For Wilson, the job goes beyond driving.
“You’re the nurse, you’re the referee, you’re the coach, sometimes you’re the mom, or the dad, you are everything to these kids in a short amount of time,” she said.
The New Hanover County school district said it needed 375 substitutes Friday to cover for teachers who called out to attend the Raleigh rally.
In response, school board member David Perry said he plans to propose a legislative workday for all New Hanover County Schools employees, allowing them to travel to Raleigh and advocate for higher pay in the future.
