Press Releases

900 NYC School Bus Workers Vote to Strike

Legislature Passes Bill for School Bus Employee Protections

NEW YORK, NY – Teamsters Local 553 Secretary-Treasurer Demos P. Demopoulos had the following statement regarding legislation that passed the State Legislature early Saturday morning to require employee protections in New York City school bus contracts.

“The Teamsters applaud the State Legislature for standing up for good jobs for New York City’s school bus workers. Our union represents thousands of New York City school bus drivers, matrons, and mechanics.

“When Mayor Bloomberg cut the Employee Protection Provision, the livelihoods of our city’s school bus workers changed overnight. People who had dedicated their lives to the safe transport of our school children were thrust into a race to the bottom that made everyone a loser.

“Alongside our brothers and sisters at ATU Local 1181, the Teamsters have fought to restore this important provision. This is about fundamental fairness. The people we entrust with the safety of our children deserve the wage and job security that befits their professionalism and experience.

“On behalf of our members in the school bus industry, I thank the legislature and look forward to the Governor signing this legislation into law.”

Contact: Alex Moore
alex@teamstersjc16.com, 718-289-0204