Sixteen years ago, John Clark was babysitting his granddaughter at home when he saw an advertisement on TV that Baltimore County Public Schools was hiring bus drivers. He applied, and since then, he's been based out of the school district's bus lot in Windsor Mill, ensuring students arrive safely to and from school. "The plan was to be there for 5 years," says John. "But I've realized it's done more good for me to stay than leave. This work is meaningful, and that's major. I love that I get to work in the community that I live in."
Now, as the Vice President of AFSCME Local 434, John cares deeply about ensuring the voices of him and his coworkers are respected and heard. "When I started in this job, we were making $11.85 an hour. But because of my union, we've nearly tripled our salaries since then," says John.
In addition to steady raises, his local has won extra hourly pay for bus drivers as well as attendance bonuses to help retention. Their latest win was getting everyone in the local on the same pay scale. For years, food service workers in the cafeterias were subject to a different pay scale, but thanks to Local 434's continued organizing, that's changed now.
Earlier this month, John also had the chance to attend AFSCME's 46th International Convention as a first-time delegate. "When I first walked into the building, I was like, 'Wow, this is huge,' and I realized I'd be meeting AFSCME members from across the country," says John. "I was also able to attend a shop stewards workshop where we got to review what we should do when we're representing someone. I learned a lot, especially how to ensure management follows protocols and doesn't step on our rights."
