Boston school bus drivers stage surprise strike, disrupting service to 33,000 student

[razorsharp]

<p>

A surprise strike by the union representing Boston schoolbus drivers halted service this morning for more than 30,000 students, catching city officials by surprise and leaving parents scrambling for alternative transportation while police scoured the streets looking for stranded students.</p>

<p>Only 30 of the school system’s 650 buses were on the road. The job action stemmed from a disagreement between the schools’ transportation vendor, Veolia, and the union representing the drivers, officials said.</p>

<p>“Thirty-three thousand students and their parents have been affected today as a result of this illegal work stoppage by the bus drivers’ union,” Mayor Thomas M. Menino said at a news conference.

• See more at: [Boston</a> School bus drivers stage wildcat strike disrupting service to thousands of students - Boston.com](<a href=“http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2013/10/08/boston-school-bus-drivers-stage-wildcat-strike-disrupting-service-students/2iVIbFaypHUh3PgXwPBJeN/story.html#sthash.VeVxeGvn.dpuf]Boston”>http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2013/10/08/boston-school-bus-drivers-stage-wildcat-strike-disrupting-service-students/2iVIbFaypHUh3PgXwPBJeN/story.html#sthash.VeVxeGvn.dpuf)</p>

<p>I would fire every last one of the drivers.</p>

[lerkin]

<p>

I would fire every last one of the drivers.

</p>

<p>I bet the union contract does not allow for that.</p>

[ariesathena]

<p>The union contract may not allow for striking, either.</p>

[emeraldkity4]

<p>Sounds like it was prompted by the vendor withholding paychecks, amongst other things resulting in a lockout.
But there must be a better way to negotiate.</p>

[NewHope33]

<p>“But there must be a better way to negotiate.”</p>

<p>Perhaps they should look to our Federal government for tips on negotiating!</p>

[Lergnom]

<p>Oddly (to me), the drivers are in the Steelworkers’ Union, which has said they should go back to work because the strike violates the collective bargaining agreement. </p>

<p>This is the kind of weird situation workers get stuck in. They don’t actually work for the city. They work for some contractor. This one is a company called Veolia Corporation. They’ve apparently been changing rules, etc. and anger has been rising. In the normal course, there would either be negotiations or a strike but this is that situation where buses have been “privatized”. It may be the company is using the quasi-public relationship of workers to city to not negotiate. I have no idea. </p>

<p>The city is insisting the drivers work tomorrow. I suspect most will.</p>

<p>Firing everyone is a massive over-reaction. This isn’t air control. And Reagan gave Patco time to respond.</p>

[MADad]

<p>Teacher strikes seldom occur in Massachusetts, as they are illegal. If the bus drivers don’t work for the school dept., situation may be murky</p>

[katliamom]

<p>If our very-well-taken-care-of congress can effectively go on strike, why can’t a bunch of blue collar bus drivers?</p>

[Lergnom]

<p>They were back at work today. The union got what it wanted: a meeting to discuss grievances.</p>