ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, May 16, 1996 TAG: 9605160139
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: ELISSA MILENKY STAFF WRITER
Grievances about Blacksburg Transit's pay scale, hiring practices and alleged acts of unprofessional behavior became public Tuesday when two bus drivers asked Town Council to hold a closed-door session to review such complaints.
Blacksburg resident Dana Atchley, a part-time bus operator, told council that transit employees endure a "ludicrous pay scale," a lack of benefits and hiring practices for full-time employees that are viewed by many drivers as a "personal spoils system."
Council did not take action on Atchley's request for a private meeting with council members, which he had hoped would be a place for employees to discuss problems.
Afterward, Mayor Roger Hedgepeth said a closed-door session is highly unlikely and an inappropriate way to deal with such complaints. Executive sessions, he added, are reserved for individual personnel matters.
"I doubt very seriously we would ever get involved as a council on any actions that are really widespread and come under administrative purview," Hedgepeth said.
Transit Manager Michael Connelly said he and Town Manager Ron Secrist are discussing an overall review of Blacksburg Transit's policies and procedures. The two are deciding whether the review should be conducted internally or by an outside source, Connelly said.
"We're looking at everything, including some of the things they brought up [Tuesday]," said Connelly, who did not attend the Tuesday meeting and was unaware the bus drivers were planning to speak.
But Connelly also defended Blacksburg Transit's pay scale and hiring practices, which he said are fair. Blacksburg Transit, which operates under a cooperative agreement between Virginia Tech and the town, employs about 120 part-time bus operators, who are paid anywhere from $4.85 to $6.35 an hour, he said.
The scale last was adjusted during the 1989-90 fiscal year. Connelly said he reviews the scale yearly and keeps abreast of local wages. Most of the staff are students, Connelly added, with a 50 percent to 55 percent turnover rate.
"It is designed as a part-time job, it's not designed for someone who wants a full-time job with benefits," he said.
This is not the first time Atchley has publicly complained about policies at Blacksburg Transit. In January, he tried unsuccessfully to prevent a newly hired supervisor from continuing in his job until grievances that alleged unfair hiring practices were resolved. He filed an injunction in Montgomery County Circuit Court, which he later dropped.
Atchley said he spoke before council on Tuesday because complaints about the Blacksburg Transit have not yet been addressed.
"People whose work entails driving a 17-ton bus with full responsibility for the lives and comfort of up to 100 souls deserve a little more consideration, and recompense, than that available to those who flip burgers," he said, reading from a prepared statement.
LENGTH: Medium: 60 linesby CNB