The city's month-long school bus drivers strike may end as soon as tonight. News outlets are reporting that Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1181 President Michael Cordiello will be telling 9,000 striking bus drivers, matrons and mechanics tonight that the strike is ending so that the union can "live to fight another day."
The move to end the strike comes as distress among picketers about the strike's purpose has begun to show. "They can’t live on what they’re getting paid," a union source told the Post. "People want to go back [to work]." And new bids for the city's 1,100 school bus routes have been submitted without incident.
Another thing making the ending the strike without a deal in place a little more palatable? This year's mayoral election. Recently five of the Democratic hopefuls have signed a letter promising that they will revisit the issue with an eye towards fairness to drivers upon taking office.
"We pledge... to revisit the school bus transportation system and contracts and take effective action to insure that the important job security, wages and benefits of your members are protected within the bidding process, while at the same time are fiscally responsible for taxpayers," the letter to the union from City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Public Advocate Bill De Blasio, Comptroller John Liu, former Comptroller Bill Thompson and former City Council Member Sal Albanese reads.
Between this and the failed Transit Strike of 2005, has there been a major NYC strike in recent memory where workers have actually gotten what they wanted? Not that the bus drivers had much chance of having their jobs assured like they were hoping...
