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Subscribe to RSSThousands of parents scrambled for alternate ways to get their children to school as the school bus drivers union went on strike Wednesday amid a dispute over new contracts.
Some 152,000 New York City schoolchildren -- or about 14 percent of the public school population -- take the bus. About 54,000 of them have disabilities and face extra hardships in trying to find ways to school.
More than 100 bus drivers reported to picket lines in Queens Wednesday morning in the city's first school bus strike in more than three decades. The union promised the strike would go on until workers were guaranteed job protections in new contract bids.
"Mayor Bloomberg, Chancellor Walcott, please come negotiate with us," Union President Michael Cordiello, president of Local 1181 of the Amalgamated Transit Union, said Wednesday. "Protect the workers that have the experience, protect the children in New York. You can do it. Please, come forward and end this strike. It's in your hands."
Solange Roche, a bus driver in Ridgewood for 23 years, held an "Employees on Strike" sign in one hand and an umbrella in the other as she stood in the rain with other union members at the picket lines in Queens.
"We need job protection," said Roche, who is among the more than 8,000 school bus drivers and matrons on strike. She and the other union members fear they'll lose their jobs to cheaper alternatives when their contracts are up in June.
Roche said she'll be in the picket lines for "as long as it takes" to reach a deal that satisfies the union's demands.
The union and the city have been battling over how new contracts are being drawn up for a set of bus routes. The city wants to cut transportation costs and has put about 1,100 bus contracts with private bus companies up for bid. The union is decrying the lack of Employee Protection Provisions, saying without the so-called EPPs, current drivers could suddenly lose their jobs once their contracts are up in June.
Less than an hour after the strike officially began, Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott reiterated to NBC 4 New York what Mayor Bloomberg had said Monday -- that the union wants job protections the city cannot legally provide under competitive bidding regulations. Cordiello has said that claim is inaccurate, and said the strike would continue "until the mayor works with us to put the EPP back in the bid."
Walcott said he understood the additional stress the strike would place on families, but said the city's hands were tied on the matter.
"We're putting a bid out to make sure we get the best service for our students. We have a responsibility to the taxpayers to put in a request for bids," Walcott told NBC 4 New York. "We will never compromise the safety of our students, plain and simple. We know it's going to be tough for our parents and children."
The city began taking measures this week to alleviate additional hardships imposed by the strike, including passing out free MetroCards for children to take mass transit to get to school. Walcott said the MetroCards for children are active Wednesday, while parents or guardians of students will have access to free MetroCards Thursday. In the meantime, they would be reimbursed 55 cents per mile for transportation.
The free city subway or bus passes were not much of a solution for many families.
Grandmother Janet Balmes said it's ridiculous to expect her 5-year-old grandson would take a city bus to school.
"I don't let him walk to the corner by himself. I'm gonna put him on a city bus to go to school? I'm gonna let him get off, cross the street and go to school? Not in this lifetime," Balmes said.
In Queens, mom Miriam Aristy-Farer volunteered to walk children from the A train to their school -- her contribution to ease the collective pain that parents will experience Wednesday.
"It's putting the pressure on people who don't make a lot of money to begin with, and asking parents to choose between safety and money," she said.
Some were concerned a prolonged strike could affect their livelihoods.
Angela Peralta of Staten Island has two daughters who take buses to two different schools. She's made car pool arrangements for one daughter and will drive the other one herself. That means she'll have to leave work early to pick her daughter up.
"I hope this doesn't go on very long," Peralta said. "I'm afraid that one of these days I'm going to walk into work and they're going to say, 'You know Angela, enough is enough.'"
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School bus drivers need a union? Why?
But the unions dont care sweetie...its all about THEIR safety and THEIR money!!
me me me me me me me
Amazing that the white house wants to use children today to fight gun violence, however Bloomberg expects 5 yr olds to ride a public bus to school today......sex offenders buffet special today
Bloomie could easily pass for an idiot. What a lame idea - putting kids on public buses.
It's kinda funny watching these NYC libs fighting each other. Solution: lay some more tax on workers, then give the unions what they want. Problem? What problem?
One would think it was obvious. The city and school districts are looking for ways to cut back and one is to replace the school bus system with a private one there by relieving bus drivers of their jobs. People don't think bus driver jobs are important until you need one to drive your kids to school because you can't. Now look at what's going on, mass hysteria because the bus drivers union wouldn't wait until they where fired one by one and they all went on strike. Now the city and schools and parents have to take them seriously. Seems to me the Union is doing them good.
Come on...Raise taxes on those New Yorkers and pay for them. Taxes are always the answer for liberals.
Why doesn't he raise taxes on all those rich people that live there? How about those Broadway shows that make all that money? Tax them 50%.
THINK OF THE CHILDREN...!!!! RAISE TAXES!!! Pay those bus drivers...cough cough....$200,000 per year. Give them lifetime pensions. All on the backs of those liberal New Yorkers because gubment is the answer.
TAX TAX TAX.
Or maybe use the tax dollars you are already given better. Instead of lining officials pockets, they could use the money for what it was freaking intended for.
Now this argument is just plane stupid. The bus drivers aren't asking for 200,000 per year, they just want job security. That means the state can't give their jobs to someone else. Simple, no taxes need to be raised to give a promise of job security. Sounds like you have been drinking the Rush/Fox conspiracy juice. 200,000, lol, did you just make that up to give your argument some sort of legitimacy or what?
Not sure what apples (gun control) vs oranges (School bus unions), have to do with each other but ok. I get that you don't like the newly reelected President by the majority, popular, electoral, and swing state, but what does that have to do with the issue of the Bus union in NY? Keep to the subject and bash the President on the correct posts instead of trying to bash him on every post, whether it is appropriate or not just to let everyone know your not happy and pouting.
Now this argument is just plane stupid. The bus drivers aren't asking for 200,000 per year, they just want job security. That means the state can't give their jobs to someone else.
What utter bs. In the actual world, the job goes to those tat can provide the best service as the lowest cost. I want job security too. But guess what, if someone comes along and can do my job better, I'm out and their in. Why should pulbic sector union employees get a guaranteed job at an extra expense to tax payers?
This goes to show that the unions do not care about anyone but themselves. The city is putting the bus contracts out for bids which will no doubt go to the companies that submit the lowest bids for providing the service. All the union cares about is keeping their members jobs. They want the city to guarantee the drivers keep their jobs even if new companies win the bids. This is completely absurd. The city can not tell a private company who they have to hire. The winning bidders will no doubt need drivers and will hire whomever they want to hire to do the jobs. The city is correctly taking the position that they have no right to get involved in the relationship between a private company and its employees. This is not a city run school bus system we are talking about, these are contracted operators that will provide the service to the city. These bus drivers will not be city employees, they will work for the companies that win the contracts. The city can not and should not dictate job protections or anything else to these companies.
Spoken like a true union teacher...
plane? really? You teach our kids???? No wonder why YOU like unions!!!
To hell with the kids, as long as you get yours right?
So your saying you want the security and safe well being of your children to go to the lowest bidder? Wow, good luck with that. Ever hear the term you get what you pay for? Well do as you are stating and you will.
Again, not sure where you got the opinion that I am a teacher. I do not teach, never have been a teacher, never will be a teacher. Don't have to be a teacher to have an opinion, you do know that right? Oh, and I did do the spell check, but plane and plain are both correct, I just didn't see it and neither did the spell checker. Sorry, didn't know the spell checker police where on today. Isn't that like being a hall monitor is school? Either way, nobody liked them either.
I understand your argument and agree in part. However, I am not sure if you have children attending grade school, but do you want the lowest bidder driving your kids to school? Knowing they can hire anyone they choose, maybe not even with a background check, to drive your precious kids to school safely, you would be OK with that? They may hire a sex offender under an assumed name and you would be OK with a pedophile driving lets say a handicapped bus? Hmm, not sure if I would be willing to gamble like that.
If you believe that, ask yourself what would happen if they offered the drivers job security with the provision that wages would be frozen so long as lower bids were coming in to provide the same service.
The problem with your argument is that we do not get what we pay for. If that were the case, student achievement would be rising as fast as the relative cost of education.
You have a point there. As long as only cost of living increase was added at end of contract, I would have no problem with freezing wages until the lowest bidder is higher then what the union is asking for.
Students in grade school are not being paid to go to school, it isn't a job for them that can be taken away if they do not perform as expected. Your argument is apples and oranges on this one. However, If I was paying a teacher to teach me as they do in college, I would expect to get what I paid for and show some initiative to learn. After all, I am paying for it.
?
@brenda1964 - You obviously have some kind of agenda here based on your comments. Your comment in reply to me was, to put it mildly, absurd.
I do not know too many employers these days that do not run background checks before hiring someone. I certainly do not know of a single business whose employees work with children that does not do background checks. Just because a company is the low bidder does not mean that they are irresponsible or incompetent. You ridiculous comment implying that a low bidder contract would result in pedophiles for bus drivers is moronic at best. You obviously know nothing about the transportation industry at all, as any company that employees drivers does thorough background checks on them, particularly bus companies. This is not only to ensure passenger safety, but to protect the company. They do not want to hire someone who is going to damage the companies reputation or get them involved in a lawsuit or criminal case through their actions. On top of all of that, it is highly likely that any contract that the city let for providing school bus services would require background checks on drivers, although it is really not necessary for the city to put this in the contract as the company would do it anyway. You just seem intent on defending unions at all costs regardless of how absurd their position might be!!!
The Unions complained that they wanted a "Competitive Bidding Process" when awarding Contracts. Now they are complaining about that same Competitive Bidding Process". The Drivers work for the company that was awarded the contract, they DO NOT WORK for the City. If another company can do the same job and their bid is less, that company and their employees get the job. This is the process the UNIONS WANTED AND RECEIVED. In the past few years this is how I view Unions: Unions --- Organized Crime Syndicates --- Unions ---- Union Bosses --- Corruption.
ONLY IN A UNION does NOT going to work, somehow protect their job..
Imho strikers should be fired.
STLMike - Thanks for getting it.
Brenda - You still don't get it. Every time you liberals say "pay them", you MUST back that up with supporting raising taxes to PAY for it. Do you think this service is magically free? The mayor said that the union is asking for job security that he can NOT LEGALLY provide. So, to pay for their jobs, you must support raising taxes.
When people's taxes are high enough, they will see what the liberal agenda is all about. Gubment is not the answer.
Brenda,
Just answer me this one question. Why should we pay Union workers more money to do a job that other people are willing to do for less money?
So with that thinking, whatever job you have, there is someone out there who will take it for less and someone else who will take it for less then that. So why should you have a job that someone else is able and willing to do for less?
I realize you Republicans don't get it and that's why you lost the election 2 times in a row and are losing house seats and senate seats. It's because you just don't get it.
Other people don't have the skill set that I went to college for 4 years to acquire. If there is someone else out there who wants to, and is able to, do my job for less, then my company should hire them and fire me. Why should other people have to pay more money for the services my company provides so that they can continue paying me an inflated salary? That's what the free market is all about.
P.S. You didn't answer my question.
Brenda, why should they be guaranteed a job? Is your job guaranteed?
your fired.
Unions for bus drivers?? What a joke. Next thing they tell us that they are highly trained and qualified people performing a special task. NO job security crap for anybody! Performance is what has to be reviewed in determinations who stays and who goes.
Guaranteed job security for non-skilled workers is a frigging joke.
Who said anything about guaranteed a job? I looked back up there and I never said that. Once again standard Republicans not getting it.
Brenda,
The union is striking because they want their jobs guaranteed. You are arguing in favor of the bus driver's union. You are arguing for guaranteeing their job.
Sign them up for Unemployment.....
Love it! another union plays the bully card, and we wonder where kids learn how to be bullies. it all comes from their loving parents!
Seems to me they are trying to keep their jobs from being taken away. All they asked for was job security. Easy for any company to give. They see the light at the end of the tunnel being turned off by the city and no future because their jobs are going to be given to people you don't know who are going to drive your kids to school. Wow, think you would be concerned about who is driving your kids to school and not just the cheapest payed pervert out there.
Brenda
I was going to engage you in a spirited debate about the uselessness and obsolescence of Public Unions in the 21st century. However, as I read your poorly written and ignorant posts I decided that would be an exercise in futility. Enjoy the welfare that your government job really is.
Wow, think you would be concerned about who is driving your kids to school and not just the cheapest payed pervert out there.
Okay. So now anyone who works for a private company versus a public union is a pervert! Sheesh, you liberals are a dumb lot.
Am I missing something? I keep looking back in my posts and I can't find one place where I said I worked for the Government, that I am a teacher, or that I am on welfare. Brian, could you please post where I did say that? If I didn't why are you putting words in my mouth, that's just a standard Rush / Fox / Republican thing to do. If you would like to debate what I actually said, then by all means lets debate, but please keep it to what I actually said and don't tell me what I do for a living.
No, just concerned parents. I guess you are willing to trust the lowest bidder, good luck with that.
When did driving a school bus become a career?
How many parents in NYC know their childrens' school bus driver by name?
Brenda,
you do realise this is PART TIME as well as "SEASONAL" work right? or do you believe all these drivers pull 40 hours and "work" year round? yet they want perks? what other part time job has this pay rate and perks?
I'm gonna jump in here because I am a school bus driver. Not in NYC but in upstate NY and I have driven in the city on occasion, when the company I worked for was short drivers and I pitched in.
Most school bus drivers work 5-6 hours days. Usually starting at about 5 AM and ending at 4-5 pm. Most drivers do more then one bus run, that means that we drive multiple schools with hundreds of children per day. Every single driver I know knows everyone of their students names, where they live, who's allowed to pick them up and who's not, we know the parents, nannies, sitters, brothers, sisters etc. Especially with the young ones. We are on call on the in between time in case of emergencies. We have to participate in a twice a year safety course for three hours and a monthly safety meeting of at least an hour. We have to know the roads busses aren't allowed on to make the more efficient route to pick up and drop off students. We are required to take special licensing tests and pay for this out of our own pocket if we want to work. And of course we have to deal with the parents.
You have johnny beat up jimmy on the bus and the drivers aren't allowed to interfere. We are NOT allowed to touch a student period, yet if the student gets hurt the driver gets fired so that greedy parents don't sue the company or school district. We are cursed at and assaulted by children who should be in special education with special transportation, however in the spirit of reducing expenses districts consolidate special needs kids with other children. We are the ones responsible if jimmy or Johnny in involved in bullying and we don't write them up. Every district has different rules for the responsibility of drivers, some of us are responsible for cleaning and fueling the bus between each run. Kindergartner's and 1st graders are not allowed off the bus unless a parent or approved designee meet the bus, if no one is there we bring the child back to the school. However, you have some parents who just don't want to be bothered making the bus in time and of course it's our fault that the parent has to now go out of the way to pick their child up. If a parent complains enough, usually a driver is taken off the run or fired again to appease the parents. Drivers have NO rights when it comes to parents. Write a student up for bullying or fighting or harrassing other students and a parent with the "Not my child" idea can complain and have a driver suspended, fired or removed from the run. We drivers are at the mercy of parents. And please don't say parents respect drivers and what they do for their children because all you need to do is read these sarcastic posts about drivers on this thread and realize that most of you place little or no value on my job.
What it boils down to is don't blame the drivers for doing a job most of you wouldn't think of doing. I would like to see anyone one of you get on a bus with 65 children between 5-18 yrs old and do this job. Everyone places so much responsibity on the drivers yet has so little respect for the job we do to keep your kids safe. IF any of you think you can do this job, be my guest walk a day in my shoes... I should warn you I drive the young one K-2 grade mostly and currently I have 43 kindergarteners on by bus....
How can anybody expect to be taken seriously when making a comment this stupid?
Many companies can't even guarantee they'll be around for five, ten, or even twenty years, how can they "guarantee" any such thing? Even if they could guarantee they'll be around for a long time, why should people of all varying degrees of work ethics and qualities be "guaranteed" the security that should just be afforded to those who work the hardest, the most reliably and do the best work?
Sometimes you really have to read the inane comments here to really believe them.
FIRE THEM ALL>>>>> There are plenty of people out of work to take their place..... Just make sure the new hires are non-union..... Remember its for the Kids, Yea Right.....
Yep, now instead of people proven to be honest good drivers for your kids, you will get some driver that was hired by someone not in connection with the school with no background checks driving your kids to school. Wonder if they even speak English? Doesn't matter, because the state will pay them half of what they payed the real bus drivers and pocket the rest. Nothing will go to the schools to be used for anything.
So only unions hire REAL bus drivers? Really? Your comment makes no sense.
No, you are correct, but I know that the schools require a background check as agreed to by the Unions. I have no clue as to what the lowest bidder is willing to do before hiring. I think that should be a subject brought up before we condemn union workers to the unemployment line simply because there is a lowest bidder out there who may save costs by not doing a background check.
Any why can't private companies run background checks? Does the government have a monopoly on those? I work for a private company that runs background checks and drug tests for our drivers on an annual basis, sometimes six months if the client requests it.
I guarantee you the Union does exactly the amount of background checking required by the school district, and no more. And I defy you to show that the hiring process for non-union drivers would be any less stringent.
You know Brenda, in order to alleviate what seems to be your main concern of "who's driving the bus?" All the schools could simple do is require any company to perform a mandatory background check (they do this anyways as a condition of employment, I know, I work for the department of labor and talk to drivers every day). So, get rid of the unions and hire private companies. I'm all for government regulation and protection, but the unions have a stranglehold on the government. They want "job security?" Well guess what, people in the private sector can be fired for poor performance. In the public sector, its basically impossible. Believe me when I say, I have seen the utter incompetence and laziness that public employme, with the inability to fire, produces. It's sickening and this is coming from someone who supports big government, regulations, gun control, liberal policies and the like. I've just seen what unions actually do (I'm actually forced to be part of a union in order to get vision and dental insurance) and I think it's disgusting. I'm appalled at how the unions wield their power for their own benefit, when their benefits outweigh everyone else's benefits by orders of magnitude.
I'l be happy to not see those awful yellow buses on the road today. They're built as cheaply as possible, on truck chasis. This is all we can afford, but we have the most expensive education system in the world. We're hauling our kids around in the equivalent of moving trucks with seats.
I agree with your part about the buses not being built as good as they could be, but they do need the truck chassie because of the weight they would carry, and our kids need all the safety means they can get. Its the body that needs to be greatly improved for strength so it wouldn,t collapse on the kids. Air bags for every seat might be a good idea too. Some would say that would cost too much, but what is the price that your child is worth?
For NYC, Its time to rid themselves of the Amalgamated Transit Union. FIRE any drivers who do not return to work.
School bus drivers need to be fired, if they do not return to work.
It's New York, that bastion liberty.
You have good public transportation in NY. The mayor thinks the people are too fat and the streets are safe. Maybe a walk to school is just what the kids need. Get rid of the buses. Save the money.
A solid reason to end busing.
Kids who have to walk to school will be less obese.
Fire them!!! There are plenty of people looking for work that I am sure would gladly take what these drivers make over what they make on unemployment.
Truth,
Are you sure about that? What do School bus drivers make in NYC? they don't make much over minimum wage, here in the midwest.
fire them all !!!!! unfnbelievable!!!
Get rid of the union and fire the greedy employees. Problem solved. I am sure there are PLENTY of unemployed, honest, and hardworking folks who would gladly take their place.
I don't think the argument should be "there are people who don't have jobs who will work for even less pay!"
That just encourages cheap labor and a continued regression of the labor market. I will admit that unions can often be greedy, but companies and municipalities can be greedy and irresponsible as well. Unfortunately that seems to be the way people prefer to operate.
Maybe we could get rid of the minimum wage rule too so we can pay them slave labor wages. Maybe open a sweat shop of drivers who each day bid for the right to drive the bus, lowest bidder gets the job. Sarcasm!
Brenda has shown her self to be the idiot in the bunch.
Using this logic, people shouldn't purchase a lower priced product to save money, either.
Man, there are some doozies on here today.
MeanGirl,
"Get rid of those greedy school bus drivers?" Hahahaaha!!! You're rite, They make WAY too much cash. Hahahaha!!
Jax A,
When you purchase a lower priced product it can mean a few things:
1) A more efficient process is used to create the product/service
2) The materials involved are cheaper
3) Somebody is getting paid less
Labor cost is not the only thing that determines price, but it is usually highest on the list.
The only difference between Unions and a mob is that they don't use guns. They only manipulate and use any and all leverage to get unfair and unbalanced compensation that only leaves governmental entities struggling to pay there demands, thus raising taxes and or debt in the nation as a whole.
What some here has not said is that the mayor can not give the union what they want by law. The supreme court of NY has ruled that they can't. Then again when has the union cared what a court has said. Where else can a part time worker had anything to cling to in this regards anyway. They only work 20 to 30 hrs a week. They should all be fired and the union should be gotten rid of as a part time employee can be fired at any time for any reason.
I am a school bus operator in WV as to pay my kids ate free lunch as I was full time and making under the poverty level for WV at the time I also had about 10 years service. Do to union leadership I'm above that now and I'm thinking that with the cost of living in NYC those bus operators may be worried about being just another hand looking to feed their own family along the streets of the city. As to those that think this is an easy job... having your back to 60-70+ prekindergarten to high school aged kids at the same time while watching traffic and TRYING to get the MOST Precious cargo to school and back home safely I'm SURE they need substitute drivers PLEASE apply today!!!!!
The union is wrong, who's job is ready guarantied. Go back to work, that is how you guaranty your job.
Labor Unions are Evil !
So the Mayor's only reason for not rolling over for the union is a "legal" one? Unions' "job protection" BS buried both the auto industry and the railroads in the past (called "featherbedding" in the railroad case). Mayor, tell it like it really is - time to stop the unions from destroying efficiency in providing goods/services with their Socialist agendas.
Fire them all screw the union!
I agree in job security, but in todays world who really has it, let alone using our kids as pawns to get it. Shame on you. Its just like the people who think they need an assualt rifle to hunt or target shoot with.
Bobby you are an absolute moron.
school bus drivers union? really this is a fulltime job?
I am a school bus operator in WV as to pay my kids ate free lunch as I was full time and making under the poverty level for WV at the time I also had about 10 years service. Do to union leadership I'm above that now and I'm thinking that with the cost of living in NYC those bus operators may be worried about being just another hand looking to feed their own family along the streets of the city. As to those that think this is an easy job... having your back to 60-70+ prekindergarten to high school aged kids at the same time while watching traffic and TRYING to get the MOST Precious cargo to school and back home safely I'm SURE they need substitute drivers PLEASE apply today!!!!!
im sure some of these folks laid off this week would love to drive a bus.
January 16 , 2013
Lockerz - Reports of Layoffs
Express Scripts Holding Co - 103
Update: Atmel Corp - 140 More in
Colo.
January 15 , 2013
International Veneer Company VA
- 100
Blackbaud Inc - 150
St. Louis Post-Dispatch - 2
Reuters - Some Layoffs
Reported
United Technologies Corp -
350
Cirque du Soleil. - Layoffs Coming?
ProQuest - About 40
Energizer in Asheboro - up to 100
Atmel Corp - Confirms 200 in past Month
Veolia Transportation - 78
Renault - 7,500
Anglo American Platinum - 14,000 Poss.
Layoffs
Air Berlin US -
900
Brookstone, Inc - 3% of
Workforce
Update: General Dynamics AL - 139
University of Saskatchewan -
40
Island Air - Sale may = Layoffs
Update: Morgan Stanley - 1,600
the real reason for the strike, they can only carry seven rounds in their gun now.
Fire them! Get somebody that wants to work. Tell them the job pays this amount, and these are the benefits, if you don't want to work for that, join the unemployed! If you notice the union states are the biggest mess in the united states, and our president is all hung up to the morrons!
Fire them all - there are people out there happy to do their job that havent worked in over a year - let them see what almost permanent unemployment is like.
One would think the unions would see the writing on the wall, that unions are not the powerful groups they once were. They are no longer needed and are rightfully being replaced by the private sector slowly but surely. NYC should turn the busing over to a private company who would no doubt have to hire ex-union drivers to cover the positions. I'm sure the new positions would go to the most qualified rather than someone who was kept on at the union due to seniority. I would think parents would welcome that.
This is why they hold on to every kind of power they can. The ATL put the local bus drivers on strike in my town last year, even though they were paid well above the average. Now the bus service is nearly bankrupt and the county had to vote a .04 sales tax on fuel to cover that added cost of the labor. So basically, everyone who does not use the bus......has to pay for the bus?