The upcoming 2023-24 school year is overshadowed by the looming threat of a school bus strike, which could leave over 150,000 children stranded. Amalgamated Transit Union 1181, representing 8,000-plus school bus drivers, mechanics, and escorts, has taken an extreme approach by holding child hostages and demanding more than what other city workers have negotiated in their contracts. During discussions since the previous contract expired on June 30, the union has advocated for raises exceeding the standard 6% hike offered by Mayor Eric Adams to city workers. Additionally, they are seeking the reinstatement of employee privileges that were eliminated a decade ago. In an attempt to mitigate the negative optics of holding children hostage, the union plans to instruct half of its members to continue working while the other half strikes. However, this still leaves tens of thousands of students, including those with special needs, without transportation.
The threat of a school bus strike impacting 150,000 children hangs heavy over the start of the 2023-24 school year. Should a strike occur, it would affect 16 bus companies contracted by the Department of Education, including NYC School Bus Umbrella Services, a city-operated nonprofit that acquired Reliant Transportation (owned by a significant donor to former Mayor Bill de Blasio) and its fleet of 1,000 buses for $890 million in 2021. Apart from wage requests, ATU 1181 insists on the restoration of the Employee Protection Provisions (EPPs), which mandated new bus companies to hire the previous contractor’s drivers and attendants at the same seniority levels, pay rates, and benefit structures. The EPP system was implemented after a school bus strike in 1979 and discontinued in the early 2010s under Mayor Michael Bloomberg. In 2013, when the union attempted to reinstate the EPPs through a half strike, Mayor Bloomberg stood firm, causing the work stoppage to fizzle out after a few weeks. Subsequently, in 2014, the City Council and de Blasio allocated $35 million annually to incentivize bus companies to maintain worker privileges. Nevertheless, most companies declined the offer as the system created management difficulties. The sole company that agreed, Reliant, ultimately went bankrupt due to mounting losses. The subsidy has become irrelevant. The union then sought state-enforced mandates, but former Governor Andrew Cuomo vetoed bills in 2016 and 2019. Citing the national shortage of school bus drivers, ATU 1181 argues that the city lacks several hundred drivers due to inadequate pay and benefits. In preparation for a potential driver strike, the city has prepared contingency plans, such as providing MetroCards for students and reimbursing alternative transportation costs, which may include free ride-share options.
Tomas Fret, head of ATU 1181, acknowledges that school bus workers transport the city’s most precious cargo, and we concur. However, it is crucial to note that EPPs were unique to New York City, as other cities in the United States transport children to school successfully without them. Historically, using children as hostages has proven unsuccessful. It appears that the union is willing to disrupt public schools and the families reliant on them in the hopes of forcing Adams and/or the bus companies to yield this time. If Fret genuinely believes in his statement, the honorable course of action would be to continue negotiations past the school’s opening day on September 7, regardless of the time required to reach an agreement.
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