Bus Driver Unions of New York city go on strike, shut down schools

[krazen1211]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263344/New-York-City-school-bus-drivers-strike-thousands-schoolchildren-stranded.html

More than 8,000 New York City school bus drivers and matrons went on strike over job protection this morning, leaving some 152,000 students, many disabled, trying to find other ways to get to school.
Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said the strike started at 6 a.m. Wednesday. About 200 bus drivers and bus matrons were assembled on picket lines in the Queens section of the city.


Parents have made plans to use subways, carpools and other alternatives, hitting slippery roads as sleet turned to rain around the city and temperatures were at or above freezing.
The city has put its contracts with private bus companies up for bid, aiming to cut costs. The Local 1181 of the Amalgamated Transit Union says drivers could suddenly lose their jobs when contracts expire in June.


Amazing! New York City spends $6500 per student per year on transportation costs, or, well, roughly $36 per day.


Why hasn't anyone busted the union yet?

[krazen1211]

Even New York must have something nice to do with $36 per day.

[krazen1211]

$6500 per child on transit? I'm not at all versed in local NYC politics, but I'm tempted to call shenanigans. Somebody on the right has done some creative accounting. And NYC is one of the few US cities with decent public transit options, so I'm not sure what those comments are about. But you can't blame bus drivers for wanting some job security. Who wants to lose their job?

You aren't at all versed in much of anything.

Since you are so ignorant I'll just tell you that that number comes from these leftist fiends at the New York Times

Or, alternatively, from leftist Michael Bloomberg

[krazen1211]

The article says they spend about $1.1B on transit. They have about 1.1M students. That's about $1000/student by non creative accounting.

The unions are continuing the vicious assault on the taxpayer.


http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/new_york&id=8976957


Just 152,000 of New York City's 1.1 million public schoolchildren ride yellow school buses, but the cost of busing students has risen from $100 million in 1979 to $1.1 billion today.

In exchange for an up to 80 day periood and a return to work, the union wanted the city not to put new contracts up for bids, as leaders make their case for why they say drivers salaries are not the reason for the high costs of school busing. The City declined the offer.

[krazen1211]

Just 152,000 of New York City's 1.1 million public schoolchildren ride yellow school buses, but the cost of busing students has risen from $100 million in 1979 to $1.1 billion today.

What do you expect?  All costs have gone up similarly, and anyway, that is progress.

Hmm? No, a Big Mac only costs about 3 times as much. Not 11 times.

[krazen1211]

The article says they spend about $1.1B on transit. They have about 1.1M students. That's about $1000/student by non creative accounting.

The unions are continuing the vicious assault on the taxpayer.


http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/new_york&id=8976957


Just 152,000 of New York City's 1.1 million public schoolchildren ride yellow school buses, but the cost of busing students has risen from $100 million in 1979 to $1.1 billion today.

In exchange for an up to 80 day periood and a return to work, the union wanted the city not to put new contracts up for bids, as leaders make their case for why they say drivers salaries are not the reason for the high costs of school busing. The City declined the offer.

You need to get a dictionary.

Your own quote says the bus drivers want the city to hold off for two and a half months while the bus drivers justify their pay.  How that is a "vicious assault" is beyond me.

The fact that they get to make their billions and then justify their pay after the fact is in itself a travesty for the American taxpayer, most of which do not retain these 'job protections' that these unions are demanding for themselves.

New York City public schools have lower enrollment than 1970. It is astonishing to see such tenfold rises in expenditures.

[krazen1211]

The article says they spend about $1.1B on transit. They have about 1.1M students. That's about $1000/student by non creative accounting.

The unions are continuing the vicious assault on the taxpayer.


http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/new_york&id=8976957


Just 152,000 of New York City's 1.1 million public schoolchildren ride yellow school buses, but the cost of busing students has risen from $100 million in 1979 to $1.1 billion today.

In exchange for an up to 80 day periood and a return to work, the union wanted the city not to put new contracts up for bids, as leaders make their case for why they say drivers salaries are not the reason for the high costs of school busing. The City declined the offer.

You need to get a dictionary.

Your own quote says the bus drivers want the city to hold off for two and a half months while the bus drivers justify their pay.  How that is a "vicious assault" is beyond me.

The fact that they get to make their billions and then justify their pay after the fact is in itself a travesty for the American taxpayer, most of which do not retain these 'job protections' that these unions are demanding for themselves.

New York City public schools have lower enrollment than 1970. It is astonishing to see such tenfold rises in expenditures.

krazen1211, your reading comprehension skills are poor.  Your own quote says 1.1 billion.  That is not BILLIONS.  Secondly that is total expenses.  That is not bus driver compensation.  You don't even know what their compensation is.  And there is no indication that they didn't justify their pay in the past.  Why would you imply that?

New York City public schools have lower enrollment than 1970. It is astonishing to see such tenfold rises in expenditures.

How much has have healthcare costs gone up 40+ years?

How much have gas prices gone up in 40+ years?

How much have traffic tickets gone up in 40+ years?

Have you bought bread lately?

How is any of that the bus drivers' fault?!

Of course, you forgot to do rudimentary mathematics and multiplied that $1.1 billion over the duration of the contract. Rudimentary mathematics is of course what Michael Bloomberg did when he proposed bringing these contracts up for bid in order to stop paying twice as much as any other US city.

But, you want to know how much they get paid? Well, $42000 each, plus they get to freeload unemployment in the summer. Oh, and the age 55 pension.

I guess when you get that kind of deal while serving a smaller and smaller customer base you want to keep it going, eh?

[krazen1211]

Just 152,000 of New York City's 1.1 million public schoolchildren ride yellow school buses, but the cost of busing students has risen from $100 million in 1979 to $1.1 billion today.

What do you expect?  All costs have gone up similarly, and anyway, that is progress.

Hmm? No, a Big Mac only costs about 3 times as much. Not 11 times.

A Big Mac would (and should) cost 11 times as much, were McDonalds not a slave labor joint (non-unionized).  You see, these unions are a good thing, and increasing costs and expenditures are also a good thing.  This is what we call human progress.

That's an interesting theory. If a Big Mac and the rest of their menu cost $13 McDonalds wouldn't be in business and there would be no labor at all.