Unions, parents support school bus drivers

By Sara Catalinotto
PIST organizer
New York

Photo: Karen Torres

Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1181-1061 held a press conference on the steps of City Hall here Dec. 6 to correct Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s false announcement of an impending citywide school bus strike.

The billionaire politician’s attempt to turn parent anger against these workers was beaten back as 60 people — including speakers from Parents to Improve School Transportation (PIST), Class Size Matters and the Coalition for Educational Justice — voiced their support for the union, which is currently in contract negotiations with the city.

Delegations from Teamsters Local 854, who also operate school buses, other Teamster leaders, and two major, militant unions also in contract negotiations with the city — Service Employees Local 32-BJ (building services) and Transport Workers Local 100 (public transit) — also gave statements. Local elected officials and religious leaders joined in.

ATU Local 1181 president, Michael Cordiello, made it clear that school bus drivers, escorts and mechanics hope to avoid a strike, in the interest of fellow working-class families who depend on their services, but that the city’s wish to “ship out school bus contracts to the cheapest bidder” would lead to unsafe conditions for bus children.

A key issue in the negotiations is job security for qualified, experienced people who transport children of all ages. More than 60,000 of the 150,000 yellow-bus riders in New York are students with disabilities. PIST grandmother Margaret DePaula said, “We want unionized, trained drivers and escorts who know how to handle our special-needs children.”

New Yorkers are urged to call the mayor’s and chancellor’s offices to express support for employee protection provisions in all school transportation contracts. Upcoming ATU 1181-1061 contract rallies will be announced at pistnyc.org.