Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott plans to hold a news conference later today to address growing rumors of a possible strike by school bus drivers and matrons.
NY1 has learned a walkout may soon become a reality.
Some drivers and matrons tell NY1 their union could call a strike for Wednesday, and that an announcement from the union would come tomorrow.
The strike talk began after the city put bus contracts out to bid.
...
Walcott is asking parents to come up with a back-up plan, adding in a statement, "A strike would be irresponsible and would adversely impact our students and their families who rely on bus service to get to and from school."
NY1 will bring Walcott's news conference live at 12:30 p.m.
Is the press conference only to address the rumor of the impending strike or will there be an update and/or announcement made on the teacher evaluation agreement as well?
UPDATE - 1:45 PM: NY 1 reports on the press conference
Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott and Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that a possible strike by school bus drivers and matrons this week would be "irresponsible," saying that the city cannot provide protections for some workers in its new bus contracts.
Walcott said the strike is likely to happen, affecting yellow bus service for more than 152,000 students, saying, "it is not a matter of if, but when."
He said the Amalgamated Transit Union is "disrespectful" for not definitively saying when the strike would take place.
...
"This is a strike against children," Walcott said, saying he wants the union to give parents at least 24 hours' warning before the start of the strike, so that families can figure out alternate ways to get to school.
I don't have a take on the bus strike either way, but I did read in the NY1 story that if the union calls a strike, they will announce it on Monday but not commence the strike until Wednesday.
That would be 48 hours notice.
In addition, notice how Walcott and Bloomberg use the "This is against children!" attack against the union?
It's never against the children when Walcott and Bloomberg cut 14% out of the school budget and give that money to Common Core consultants and testing companies.
It's never against the children when Bloomberg and Walcott close schools despite the pleas of children and their parents not to in order to hand that space off to Klein crony Eva Moskowitz.
It's never against the children when Bloomerg and Walcott refuse to take PCB's out of the schools or send children to PS 51 in the Bronx for months full well knowing it is polluted with cancer-causing toxins.
Oh, no - those are never "against the children".
You would have to look long and hard to find two bigger hypocrites than Michael Bloomberg and his chancellor toadie, Dennis Walcott.
How is Walcott going to face himself if his self-centeredness and haughtiness will be affected by the bus strike? Woe, is he!?
ReplyDeleteCall the press Walcott needs an emergency Image Control.
Drivers and matrons work for private bus companies, not the City of NY. The city has no business getting involved in the terms of union contracts with private bus companies. If the drivers want EPP, collective bargaining is how they get it. The ATU shouldn’t blackmail parents and taxpayers into giving their members job protections.
ReplyDelete