The New York City Department of Education warned parents Sunday that school bus drivers may be on the verge of a strike, in retaliation against the department’s announcement that it would be accepting bidding for 1,100 routes for children with disabilities, without offering standard job security measures on the new contracts.
In the event of a strike, what would the city do? Hand out free MetroCards to the families of children who take the bus, of course, meaning your morning subway ride might get a little more crowded soon. Wherever you stand on the issue of unions and labor, that’s reason enough to make sure these two sides reach a compromise soon.
Rest assured, though, that the drivers are intent on negotiating. At a protest yesterday, union president Michael Cordiello said a strike is the “last card we want to play.”
(Photo: Tomas Fano/Flickr)
