02/13/2013
Parents to Improve School Transportation - PIST
14 INJURED IN BUSHWICK CRASH INVOLVING NON-UNION SCHOOL BUS COMPANY
Crash Shows Bloomberg's Union-Busting Scheme Endangers Schoolchildren
Parents Group Calls for Independent Community Investigation of Bushwick Crash
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tony Murphy 347-602-1584 Sara Catalinotto 347-504-3310
The non-union Fortuna Bus Company was involved in an accident Tuesday morning that injured 14 people, eleven of them children, when the school bus slammed into a car.
The accident took place at 8:00 AM on Tuesday -- the very same day that Mayor Michael Bloomber opened up bids to companies that are no longer required to hire school bus drivers and matrons of Amalgamated Transportation Union Local 1181, now in its fourth week on strike. The strike is to keep their job protections.
"This illustrates the safety issues that come up when you rely on a non-union company," said Robin Benedetto, a school bus driver and shop steward for ATU Local 1181. "Union drivers are safe. Non-union drivers are not safe."
The school bus drivers and matrons now striking for their jobs have widespread support in the city, including from parents and families whose lives have been upended by the strike. They say Bloomberg's attack on the drivers' job security is creating a climate of tension and fear -- and blame the disruption in their lives on him.
"This is just one of many reasons why 'replacement' bus crews are rejected by parents," said Sara Catalinotto, a founder of Parents to Improve School Transportation (PIST). "Leaders of PIST, the CCSE and other parents councils want the mayor to negotiate and get the experienced drivers and attendants back to work. Guaranteeing their job security is how Blomberg can guarantee the safety and IEP rights of bus-riding children now and in the future."
Catalinotto -- one of the speakers at the Sunday rally where 5,000 union members marched for job protection -- said that parents are calling for an independent investigation by Bushwick community members into what caused the accident.
