New York School Bus Drivers OK Contract After Strike

LONG ISLAND, N.Y. — Unionized school bus drivers approved a contract on Tuesday with the school bus company they work for after a strike that lasted nearly two weeks, Newsday reports.

Debra Hagan, the president of Transport Workers Union Local 252, told the news source that agreement includes raises, more sick leave, and an increase in employee retirement plan contributions. A spokesman for the school bus company, Baumann & Sons Buses Inc., confirmed for Newsday that the contract was ratified.

The strike began on Nov. 6 and ended on Nov. 16, impacting more than 20,000 students across four school districts, as well as private school students whose transportation is provided by those school systems, according to the news source. More than 300 school bus drivers, monitors, and mechanics went on strike.

As a result of the strike, two school districts canceled their contracts with Baumann & Sons. According to state records, that spurred the layoff of 134 employees. However, a spokeswoman for the school bus company notified employees who returned from the strike that they still have work for them. Additionally, Hagan told Newsday last week that the drivers who were laid off could work for the other school bus companies that acquired contracts with the districts that previously contracted with Baumann & Sons.