School bus drivers rally at City Hall for job security amid layoffs

School bus drivers from across the boroughs held a rally at City Hall Friday over layoffs and job security. Workers say that more than 4,000 drivers, escorts and mechanics are being laid off, with

News 12 Staff

Oct 11, 2014, 12:55 AM

Updated 3,493 days ago

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School bus drivers rally at City Hall for job security amid layoffs
School bus drivers from across the boroughs held a rally at City Hall Friday over layoffs and job security.
Workers say that more than 4,000 drivers, escorts and mechanics are being laid off, with no efforts being made to help them. They claim that people who have been behind the wheel for up to 20 years are losing their jobs to inexperienced workers for the sake of cutting wage costs.
Protesters put together a petition with thousands of signatures calling for all workers to be placed on a master list sorted by seniority. They want that list to be used to determine who gets jobs.
Mayor Bill de Blasio recently allotted $42 million to keep the senior workers employed, but protesters say it hasn't been enough.
"We fully recognized that some part of the workforce would be beyond our reach," the mayor's office said in a statement. "The contracts we issue going forward will ensure we have safe, experienced drivers behind the wheel."


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