The impending school bus strike pitting Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration against a recalcitrant bus drivers’ union has also divided the candidates seeking to replace him.
Two of the Democrats contending to be mayor—Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and Comptroller John Liu—have come out strongly on the side of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1811, which represents 8,800 bus drivers and matrons. The other two leading Democratic hopefuls, Council Speaker Christine Quinn and former Comptroller Bill Thompson, have not taken sides.
“The city needs to stop stonewalling on safety and recognize what every parent knows: experience matters,” Mr. de Blasio said in a statement. “These protections ensure that no matter what happens with bus companies, we have the most experienced drivers behind the wheel who know our kids and their special needs.”
Mr. Liu also placed blame for the strike on the Bloomberg administration. “City Hall’s behavior has been outrageous, and it needs to negotiate with workers immediately to avoid a disruption in school-bus service,” he said in a statement on Monday.
Mr. de Blasio even attended the union’s press conference Monday.
Meanwhile, Ms. Quinn, the perceived frontrunner in the primary, has avoided wading into the debate. She said she is receiving briefings from both the Department of Education and the union, and retains hope that a strike can still be avoided.
Mr. Thompson’s public stance was similar. “The safety of our children is crucial,” he tweeted Monday. “I urge the Mayor to find a solution so no strike occurs in the coming days.”
[UPDATE, 4:34 p.m.] On Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Thompson released an expanded statement on the bus strike that seemed to adopt some of the union’s positions, while laying the blame on the mayor.
“As I have stated before, the bus contracts should be rebid to include job protections that will minimize disruption for our school children, maintain the jobs of experienced drivers and, importantly, save taxpayers’ money,” he said. “Our children and their families are now caught in a political tug-of-war initiated by the Mayor that must be prevented.”
A fifth, long-shot Democratic candidate, former Councilman Sal Albanese, also sounded off on the strike, pointing fingers at all parties involved.
“This whole situation is a disaster for our students and their education,” Mr. Albanese said. “It’s truly unfortunate that the Mayor, the Chancellor and union officials could not hammer this out before it turned 150,000 kids into pawns in a political fight.”
The union has said that it is seeking job protections for senior drivers in its contract with the city. The city has said it cannot legally add them, and has accused the union of “abandoning” more than 150,000 school children that will be affected by the strike. MetroCards and taxis will be made available to children who lack a ride to school, the mayor said Monday.
A coalition of bus contractors said Monday that they believed it was “unlawful” for the union to strike, and would file unfair labor practice charges.
“While we are the employers, this dispute is strictly between the union and the city regarding the removal of the Employee Protection Provision from the upcoming bids,” the coalition said in a statement. “Our hope is that a strike will be averted for the sake of the children and all who rely on this essential service.”
The mayoral candidates’ comments are not shocking. Ms. Quinn has sought to avoid taking stances in controversial issues involving City Hall, as she attempts to balance her ties with Mr. Bloomberg with her desire to appeal to the city’s Democratic voters. Mr. Thompson has also staked out more moderate positions on issues involving labor and business.
Messrs. de Blasio and Liu, however, are grappling over the progressive mantle in the race, each hoping to secure the union endorsements needed to propel them to a run-off with either Ms. Quinn or Mr. Thompson.
One Republican candidate has weighed in on the strike. George McDonald, founder of the Doe Fund, sided with Mr. Bloomberg, accusing the bus drivers of abandoning special needs students and undermining their safety.
“We’ve seen this movie before. It can end in tragedy,” Mr. McDonald said in a statement. “It is unconscionable that the union would put our children in harm’s way for any reason, let alone for the sake of job protections that a court has ruled illegal.”