NYC bus drivers’ labor strife could cause disruptions for first day of school
New York City students who take the bus may experience some “disruptions and delays” on the first day of class Thursday because of ongoing labor strife involving the bus drivers’ union, Schools Chancellor David Banks warned.
Last week, the Amalgamated Transit Union 1181, which represents 8,000-plus school bus drivers, “delayed” the process of choosing their annual routes as the labor group and city tried to hammer out a contract deal, according to Banks.
“This may result in some drivers being placed on unfamiliar bus routes and some companies not being able to provide families who ride curb-to-school bus routes with pickup and dropoff times in advance of the first day of school,” Banks said Wednesday.
Ahead of each school year, bus drivers typically chose one of the 4,400 routes across the five boroughs based on seniority.
The ATU pushed back the selection process as it continued to demand across-the-board higher wages.
“Some families may not have received confirmation from their bus vendor yet of information about their route,” Banks admitted Wednesday.
“We want to make parents and families aware that they may, in fact, experience some disruptions and delays from busing on their first day of school,” he said.
The ATU committed to bus service for Thursday and Friday — but a strike beyond this week has not been ruled out.
The union said it hasn’t stopped pushing for a “fair contract” and is still negotiating with bus companies and the Big Apple.
The city’s instructions to schools regarding the huge number of migrant children being added to classrooms is: Figure it out yourself!
The brief, 415-word memo’s guidelines include . . .
- That the Department of Education does not track immigration status, suggesting that it can’t give schools any idea of how many kids they’ll be taking — but then warns all administrators that they “should not turn away any students.”
- Students may not arrive speaking English. Schools should find a teacher who speaks that language “if available.” If not available, then use federal funding to hire some translators.
- It’s up to the schools themselves to identify how many English-language learners they have, within 10 days.
- The kids might not have school supplies. So again, the city tells them to use federal funding to buy some, encouraging schools to “create care package closets.”
- Still in trouble? “Please complete the Central Project Open Arms Team-Support Request form.”
The DOE unveiled a costly back-up plan last week in the event its bus drivers opted toward striking, which included using tap rideshare apps, such as Uber and Lyfts, and MetroCards to get the thousands of kids to school.
The department said it would either preorder Ubers, Lyfts or taxis for students or reimburse families up to $100 each way for the rides.
If a strike were to happen, it would be the first since January 2013.
The potential bus route mess is not the only issue city schools will be grappling with to kick off the academic year.
Gov. Kathy Hochul warned Wednesday that thousands of new migrant students will pose a language barrier “challenge” in the classroom.
Most of the 60,000 asylum-seekers being sheltered in the five boroughs are limited to Spanish, she said.
In preparation, the DOE hired 3,400 English as a New Language licensed teachers, as well as more than 1,700 teachers who are fluent in Spanish.
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