ST. LOUIS – Employees with Missouri Central School Bus in St. Louis received notice Tuesday that their jobs will be gone at the end of the school year. The company decided to terminate its contract with St. Louis Public Schools at the end of the school year.
More than 300 workers will be out of work, although the school district hopes employees will find work with the next company chosen to provide service. The district stated they’re now beginning the process of hiring a new company for the next school year.
Amin Mitchell was among the workers who received a notification Tuesday. He’s the bus mechanic who reported finding a noose laid out at his workstation earlier this month.
Michell said the discovery came soon after he raised safety concerns. In a show of support for the concerns he raised, several workers called in sick following the incident.
“I believe there is a company that cares more about safety as opposed to their pockets,” Mitchell said.
In the notification letter, Missouri Central School Bus indicated the company and school district negotiated in good faith but could not reach an agreement. Bus driver shortages were also cited as an issue.
The bus company canceled its contract on Monday. The district pointed to Mitchell’s discovery of a noose as justification. According to the district, the controversy “provided irreparable harm to their reputation.”
Following the controversy, Missouri Central School Bus stated the company has zero tolerance for any behavior that violates its policy of providing and fostering a work environment that is welcoming to all, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
The company announced plans to hire a third party to conduct an independent investigation and would take whatever action deemed necessary based on what the investigation finds.
