NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — As students prepare to head back to classes, New York City schools are preparing for a looming bus drivers strike and the influx of migrant students.
A school bus driver strike could impact thousands of public school students in the city.
The good news is the union says bus service will run normally for the first two days of school, on Thursday and Friday, but the bad news is that a strike could still happen in the coming days.
Parents gathered Tuesday to demand the city take action either to prevent the strike or come up with a better contingency plan.
The union that represents the bus drivers, attendants, and mechanics says they simply cannot make ends meet and want to negotiate a fair contract.
The school bus driver strike could impact up to 80,000 students in the New York City public school system. Of those, nearly 25,000 have special needs.
The last school bus strike happened back in 2013 and lasted five weeks. Parents say that the strike caused some students to be stranded at home.
Now once again, there are uncertain times with another possible school bus driver strike.
“We want to do what’s right by our bus drivers. They are moving our children to and from,” Mayor Eric Adams said.
The city released a contingency plan in the event of a strike.
Students would be given MetroCards if they are able to take public transit.
If that is not an option, families would be reimbursed for alternative transportation, or in some cases, the city may provide ride-share services.
On top of the looming bus drivers strike, more migrant students are attending city schools each year and city officials are strapped to find more bilingual teachers.
Over the last year, about 18,500 migrant children have enrolled in New York City public schools
ALSO READ | Driver strikes crowd of people in Midtown; 7 pedestrians injured
———-
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
