"Issue: Ontario's school bus workers face insecurity on the job: substandard wages as well as unstable, insufficient work hours are a reality for most. To make matters worse, the school bus industry is being hurt by new cost-cutting policies of the provincial government, including a poorly-designed Request for Proposal (RFP) process that guides the procurement of school bus service contracts every few years. This competitive RFP process, managed by school board consortia, has resulted in abandoned bus routes and yard closures. These workers ... deserve fair compensation, and a greater deal of respect on-the-job. Recommendations: Ontario's Ministry of Education should launch an independent review of the current school transportation RFP process, including a clear mandate to fully review the negative and adverse economic effects on workers in the industry. The Ministry should conduct an independent audit of the one-time $10 million 'Wage Enhancement' earmarked for school bus drivers in 2008, to assess if (and how) those monies were used for their intended purpose. Lastly, until the current RFP process is amended or dismantled, the provincial government should establish an Ontario Student Transportation Employment Advisory Office that monitors work standards in the industry and helps guard against further downward pressure on wages and working conditions"-- page [iv].