Fed up with unsanitary working conditions, bus operators in Detroit refused to drive the buses on Tuesday, March 17. Less than 10% of the workforce showed up to demand basic safety measures in light of the coronavirus epidemic. One of the main things that sparked the strike was the recent closure of restaurants which left drivers without facilities to use the restroom and wash their hands. They raised a number of demands that all centered on sanitation, including the hiring of more cleaning staff to disinfect the buses, more thorough cleaning procedures, access to restrooms, and access to gloves, masks and disinfectant wipes. Within 24 hours of their strike, the operators got their demands met.
Featured image credit: Clarence Tabb Jr., The Detroit News
