New York City Chancellor David Banks has issued a warning that a potential school bus driver strike could disrupt the beginning of the school year.
In negotiations with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), Banks has raised “real concerns around a potential bus strike,” stating the need to alert parents about the possibility.
A strike could affect between 85,000 and 150,000 students, primarily impacting the city’s youngest pupils and those with disabilities.
Carolyn Rinaldi, the chief of staff for Local 1811 of the ATU, has declined to comment, but a recent union newsletter indicated that workers at several school bus companies that contract with the city overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike, seeking a fair contract for all members.
The Newsletter stated, “The Union is fighting to get back what members previously had and everything they lost. A fair contract for all senior and new members is the answer to making school bus a career again.”
It added, “Drivers, Attendants, and Mechanics – Who Moves this City?! Who Moves the Children of New York?!?! DON’T MESS WITH OUR FAMILIES! DON’T MESS WITH OUR MONEY!!”
Parents have often faced challenges with the city’s school bus system, such as late or no-show buses and high temperatures in buses without air conditioning.
The city’s yellow buses have become a source of worry for families, especially at the start of the school year. In the event of a strike, a disruption far greater than the usual glitches at the start of the year is anticipated, just as schools are recovering from pandemic-related disruptions.
However, Banks assured that parents would receive “clear direction” on alternative transportation, and the city’s contingency plans include giving students MetroCards and “reimbursement for the use of alternative transportation.”
Nathaniel Styer, an Education Department spokesperson, emphasized that these negotiations are unique, as they are “between bus companies, who contract with the DOE, and their employees, who are not city employees.”
The city’s school bus system has faced significant challenges since the pandemic began, with many drivers laid off without wages or benefits.
Advocates for Children’s policy director, Randi Levine, expressed deep concern, stating that “many students with disabilities, as well as students living in a shelter, and students in foster care, rely on school bus service to get to school, and we want to ensure they have a way of getting to school from the first day.”
Parents and advocacy groups are closely watching the negotiations, emphasizing the importance of fair treatment for drivers and attendants to ensure stable transportation for children.
