The NYC school bus strike, how are you coping?

MimiMommy

Thu, Feb 07 2013, 8:36 pm

Clarissa wrote:

MimiMommy wrote:

Clarissa wrote:

MimiMommy wrote:

So stupid. I wish the bus drivers on strike would all be fired and then their jobs would go to people who would actually be grateful for a job.

I don't know a lot about the drivers' union and I'm going to reserve my opinion about the strike, but I'm sure they're grateful for their jobs. So grateful, in fact that they want job security, which is more likely with a union. It's not a lack of gratitude that makes people want a guaranteed salary or job security. I'm sure you and your husband want the same.

People who are grateful for jobs don't make demands about higher salaries and better benefits I'm just saying there are plenty of people who would be grateful for any job. My husband works at a job with no benefits and we are very grateful for it, in this climate. I have zero pity for people in these unions.

Could you specify what the "better benefits" are that you're referring to? Also please elaborate on the bus drivers' "higher salary" demands.

You got me! But thanks for getting me to research it Smile

Clarissa

Thu, Feb 07 2013, 9:28 pm

morah wrote:

I have zero sympathy for the union behind this strike. They are greedy and selfish. Like previous posters, I know parents who are in danger of losing their jobs because they've had to come in late every day in order to get their kids to school. Where's the concern for THEIR job security? And as a teacher, all I can say is that this strike is a flipping disaster- how the heck am I supposed to do MY job when half my class is coming in late? I'm no fan of Bloomberg, but I'm with him on this one. I want to see this union go down and go down hard.

I take it you don't belong to the UFT. You think the bus drivers (who are striking for job security, not for extra anything, since those who have seniority are most likely to lose their jobs) are greedy and selfish? What makes you think they're not concerned about the children and their families? They just want to work. As far as your class coming in late, so what? People don't want to get laid off because they're older and have been doing this longer. If your class is coming in late, then parents need to hustle to get them in earlier. Nobody's stopping from getting up earlier and leaving earlier.

zigi

Thu, Feb 07 2013, 9:34 pm

animeme wrote:

I've been wondering, as the mom of a special needs kid not affected by this: how do you put your kid in a car service, by himself?

you don't. my dd's school has 11 girls from the same area, we had a parent go both ways. there was a lot of juggling splitting shifts and babysitting. it was nuts

my school pushed and we got a bus. now I have 2 gen ed kids that have to go to school. my other sons ride also fell through. it takes me 2 hours to get everyone where they need to go. I go to another neighborhood everyday on monday I took 7 busses and 1 train just to get everyone to school- I left the house at 9 got home at 1 pm. my dd's bus didn't stop at our house that day.

bh my dh's schedule so far he is able to pick up my boys. otherwise I don't know what we would do. they are already missing fridays this will be the 4th one.

Clarissa

Thu, Feb 07 2013, 9:37 pm

You guys might not be on the side of the union in this one, but I have to say that the reasons stated (such a hassle, unions are greedy, workers are selfish bastards) are like watching Fox News. Unions aren't perfect, not by a long shot, but without them work conditions would be dangerous, hours would be pretty much up to the discretion of employers, kids would be working and there would be no safety regulations in most work environments. Google the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire to see what things were like in the days before Unions fought for safety exits in factories.

I also get the sense from more than one of these posts that those who feel inconvenienced have been too lazy to google so they can even argue against the reasons for striking. Google takes one minute.

Maya

Thu, Feb 07 2013, 9:40 pm

Clarissa wrote:

Work conditions have improved since the Triangle Shirtwaist fire with all sorts of laws put into place regarding child labor, working conditions, minimum wage, etc. It leaves me to wonder if unions are still needed these days, and if they don't often do more harm than good.

morah

Thu, Feb 07 2013, 9:40 pm

Clarissa wrote:

morah wrote:

I left the public school system because I hated the UFT and everything it stands for. Clearly, they are concerned about their issues rather than the issue of everybody else in the world. Why are they more deserving of job security than the other 90% of us who don't get it? Why do they deserve it at the cost of making NYC pay twice per student what other major cities pay? It's sheer chutzpah for them to demand it by not working AND, as a result of their actions, putting other people's jobs in jeopardy.

As for my students being late, it's not a simple matter of getting up earlier. When a parent has 4 kids in 4 different schools, someone is going to end up late- what are they supposed to do, drop the first one off at 6 AM? I have a lot of commuting students, some of whom don't have a direct public transportation route, hence the need for busing. If this were a week, we'd grumble a little and pull through. It's now going on three weeks with no end in sight. This is completely untenable.

amother

Thu, Feb 07 2013, 9:48 pm

DD's school is arranging private buses if enough people show interest and we will get reimbursed from the city! I go this letter today and I am so happy as I started a rigorous work schedule recently and I get so much anxiety figuring how she's going to get to and from school each day.

They said that the way it works is that they'll arrange a bus and we will have to pay anywhere from $35-50 weekly for it. Then we'll get voucher forms to fill out that will get sent to the city and we will be reimbursed within 3-4 weeks, as per their statement. I hope they keep to that because I really can't afford another $200 on top of my tuition right now...

Clarissa

Thu, Feb 07 2013, 10:00 pm

morah wrote:

Clarissa wrote:

morah wrote:

You left the public school system because you hated the UFT and everything it stands for? Well, I guess job security isn't so important to you. But I find that hard to believe, frankly. People don't leave the public schools because they hate the union. I know too many public and private school teachers. I have a feeling there's more to the story. Better pay and job security, and you left because you didn't like them? I have a feeling there's something missing from this. The UFT isn't perfect but people don't quit the benefits because they resent the union.

In any event, I don't see it as chutzpah to fight for jobs. People strike all the time for this. Like I said, I'm not on anybody's side in this one, since my children have never gotten transportation of any kind to school.

I'm sorry about parents that have four kids in different schools. I guess they can try carpooling with friends, taking turns bringing kids to school. In general, working parents have to deal with children having days off because of school things or whatever. It's not easy for working parents, I know. But I'm not interested in screwing over other people, either.

PinkandYellow

Thu, Feb 07 2013, 10:09 pm

This is obviously hearsay, but I was talking to a parent today who said that she heard the strike will last to the end of the year. Everyone seems to agree that Bloomberg is not going to give in and is just waiting for the Union to crumble, its just a matter of how long that will take.
Just want to point out- Individual drivers have no say on whether to Strike or not. the Union decides to strike and they are part of the Union then they need to strike. and from my personal experience with unions they are pretty selfish and are only looking out for themselves not for the people that are part of the Union and not for the people that they service.
Just my two cents.

octopus

Thu, Feb 07 2013, 10:21 pm

from what I heard, the union is only paying the bus drivers 1/2 pay and that bloomberg froze their health insurance- though, now that the strike is declared legal-perhaps they have health insurance back? I loved my child's bus driver! I cannot imagine that most of the bus drivers want this. they are getting much less pay- and how can someone go without health insurance? yes, clarissa, unions are important. I just recently watched north and south (cotton factory in england- omg it was soooooooooooo good) and I can see the need for a union- at least then. the heads of these unions, now, are a bunch of criminal thugs and goons. albeit legalized ones. I just get this feeling that you have a lot less empathy because, as you stated, you do not have bussing. so you don't get what the big deal is. sort of.

what I don't get is why the girls schools don't arrange with a private bus service- I've heard the boys schools have done this. there are parents willing to pay at least one way.

Clarissa

Thu, Feb 07 2013, 10:29 pm

No, I understand busing. I mean, I had a school bus for part of my childhood. I'm sure if I'd had it for my kids, I'd miss it and be unhappy about the hassle.

I totally see what you're saying about unions and heads of unions. I think some of the workers have lost the power in their own unions. It's like any business -- sometimes, when they grow, they change. I don't know if I said this earlier in the thread, but I was briefly a member of a union and am married to a union member. Both of us were/are required by our jobs. I found my union helpful during my brief membership. Once, when an employer gave me false info about the job and I worked like a dog, she refused to pay me for the work. My union called her and the check was in the mail. Couldn't have done it without her -- she saw me as this lone worker, powerless. So that time I was very grateful for them. My husband belongs to a large, strong union, although at his job he has relatively little to do with them.

By the way, Octopus, I really liked your post. Even though we're not 100% in agreement, you have really thought about this, and I agree with much of what you said.

eta: I'm not pro-union because of our connections past and present to unions. I was always pro-union, even though they're imperfect. Maybe it's because I've read and learned a lot about the history of organizing of Jewish immigrants at the turn of the last century. They were brave and saved many lives that would have been lost due to unsafe working conditions. I'm very proud of our ancestors. Well mine, exactly, since my parents were still in Europe. But American Jews.