Bidding & Acquiring Hours in MCPS Transportation

Obtaining Bids & Hours of Work Is Seniority Driven: Employees with the greatest seniority with MCPS are given preference through the bidding procedure to build their hours of work and selecting runs or trips. To view a list of employees' seniority, click here.

Definitions

  • Run: A run is an am/pm piece of work that a bus driver or attendant has bid on or has been assigned to.

  • Trip: A trip is any piece of work that is not part of an am/pm run.

  • Regular Scheduled Work: Any piece of work that occurs at least weekly, except partial year assignments.

  • Field Trips: Field trip assignments that have been returned for coverage by the assigned driver.

  • Minimum Hours of Work: Bus drivers and attendants must have a minimum of four hours per day per assignment. This must include at least a regular morning and afternoon run.

  • Adjustment of Hours: Operators and attendants may request time adjustments if the hours paid are less than the hours worked.

  • Extra Work Carried Over: Bus operators and bus attendants who have completed three or more years of service as permanent employees and who have non-am and pm work that is likely to be available again in the following school year, have the option to keep that work into the next school year. Extra work not expected to be available in the next school year will not be eligible for such carryover.

Once an employee bids on a run (am/pm piece of work) or is assigned one, that run belongs to them until they officially give it up. Giving up a run can be done in one of two ways. At the end of the school year (June) the employee may give his or her run up and bid for a new run in August. Also, open am/pm runs will be bid in November, February and April. Employees who successfully win a new am/pm run through the bidding process will give up their old am/pm run.

Employees can obtain hours above and beyond those hours that are assigned to their basic am/pm run in the following ways:

  • Employees can bid for regularly scheduled open extra work (any piece of work not part of an am/pm run)every August on a countywide basis.

  • Also, between September and June, regularly scheduled open work is bid every two weeks at each bus depot.

  • This process empowers the employees to use their seniority to acquire runs and hours of work, as opposed to in the past where management selected such work for employees. This process does, however, mean that employees need to bid to build their hours up to the level they desire. The process also means that seniority is the determining factor in obtaining runs and hours of work.

Timelines to Keep in Mind:

  • At the end of the school year (June) employees who wish to give up their am/pm bid or assigned run may do so.

  • At the end of the school year (June) any piece of work that is not part of an am/pm run or is not carried over is removed from the employee’s schedule.

  • At the end of the school year employees may indicate their interest in 40 hours of work.

  • In August of each year open am/pm runs and any piece of work that is not part of an am/pm run is open for bid on a countywide basis.

  • Between September and June all regularly scheduled open work is posted for bid every two weeks at each depot.

  • In November, February and April all open am/pm runs are placed up for bid.

For more details on contract language that covers MCPS Transportation Employees, see Article 40, pages 67 through 73 of the current labor agreement between MCPS and SEIU Local 500. Should you have any questions about this leaflet or applicable contract language, contact the union office at (301)740-7100 and ask for a Contract Administration Representative.