School bus drivers walking off on strike???

[momof2inPA]

Hmmm. Where is the personal attack? Just stating that physicians can't exactly walk out in the middle of surgery, or seeing a room full of patients.

Ahh, we're used to you being late for the appointments all the time, anyway. You could leave, pick her up at school, come back, and we would never know you were gone.

Strangely enough, and a little off topic, the son of a physician goes to my school. Well, one day I was helping out at lunch, and his teacher was really upset that she had sent her son to school, sick. At my kids' school, that just isn't done. I'm sure doctor mom had to work, but they called her up and sent the kid home. Kids are more important than any job, and as a doctor, she should have known better.

Maybe the bus drivers are trying to preserve their pay, so they can take their kids to the doctor when they are sick. Did you think of that?

To be honest, there are many threats and a lot of posturing that goes on before a strike. The wokers threaten the ultimate-- they'll just walk off in the middle of the day. The employers threaten the opposite ultimate-- they'll summarily lock up the shop and no one will work or get paid. Both are usually contract violations, and rarely would happen, so it's pointless to get yourself in a lather worrying about "what ifs." In the bus company situation, I'm sure the company would like to drag this out until summer break, or at least spring break, and I'm sure the workers want it settled, now.

 

[momof2inPA]

I just thought some people would be upset with that uncertainty. But, I guess I was wrong . . . everyone is perfectly happy with their child's bus suddenly not bothering to show up.

C'est la vie . . .

Did it show up? I think you just bought into some propaganda.

 

[Deb in IA]

OMG maybe the parents will actually have to pick them up like those of us in California do EVERYDAY.

NO school buses at all in the entire state of California? Really?

 

[MouseWorshipin]

Well that is why each parent is suppossed to have a "back-up" plan (neighbor, relative, etc). Don't you fill that out on an emergency form at the beginning of the school year? I mean, if you were to get a call at work that your child was sick at school, you would need to have someone to pick him/her up.

Why don't the schools, funded by the hard-working citizens, have a back-up plan?

Why don't they have people in place to show up when others abandon their jobs?

If a teacher quit, they'd replace her quick enough.

 

[Lisa L from MI]

My kids are in 4th and 7th grade and have always had a bus....UNTIL this school year....they did away with all buses because of budget!!

Plus, I am now working M-F everyday. DH had to go on night shift so the kids wouldn't be home alone all day in the summer. I amazingly have it going smoothly with dropping them off and picking them up. Last week I had to start earlier at 7:30am (leave the house before 7) so I shipped the kids down the street a few days before 7 to a friends house and DH took care of it for a couple days (he works 5-5...not a normal night shift)....

I was worried sick about the whole thing this past summer...but things worked out....hopefully all those "buser families" have a backup plan.

I look forward to all the school vacations though so it isn't so chaotic in the morning for me...

 

[Deb in IA]

Did it show up? I think you just bought into some propaganda.

From the Iowa City Press Citizen:

Monday, April 3, 2006


Some bus drivers walk off job

Plugge: If drivers walk out, kids will still get home by bus



By Rachel Gallegos
Iowa City Press-Citizen



Between 20 and 30 Iowa City School District bus drivers refused to drive their routes today as local union organizers butt heads with busing contractor First Student Inc.

A majority of the 117 drivers for the district signed a strike petition, said Jesse Case, a member of Teamsters Local 238 and national campaign coordinator for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

 

[MoniqueU]

NO school buses at all in the entire state of California? Really?

Not where I live unless you are special ed. And the parents still hold down jobs. People just take the responsibilty to get their own kids to school. Heck I don't even have a drivers license and I make arrangements to get my kids to school.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Well...on our county...there are many options for something like that"
1) call the school
2) wait & see if your child's bus brings him home
3) or do what most parents would do & just go pick up your kid

We had an incident like this last month....there was a bad traffic accident & only people who had heard about knew that many of the county's buses were getting kids home on time. When buses didn't bring kids home..parents just came & got their kids.

Parents who did hear about the accident just showed up at dismissal.
It all worked out fine & everyone was home long before suppertime.

An accident ONE DAY isn't exactly "an incident like this".

Why don't they have people in place to show up when others abandon their jobs?

Because unions have so much power, that people who want to work CAN'T cross the picket lines.

My niece was a teacher, without tenure. She received threatening phone calls to vote for a strike, when striking wasn't even going to do HER any good. You'd think she'd ever cross a picket line? I don't think so.

 

[Deb in IA]

Ahh, we're used to you being late for the appointments all the time, anyway.

I didn't realize that I had been YOUR child's pediatrician, and that you had actually met me or seen my office workflow.

 

[MouseWorshipin]

Because unions have so much power, that people who want to work CAN'T cross the picket lines.

They did for President Reagan. He gave the striking Air Traffic Controllers a day or two to come back to work and quit tying up everyone's transportation. Some did. Some didn't.

The ones who didn't were summarily replaced. Then they BEGGED for their jobs back. But he left them on strike...Heck, I guess they are still on strike.

You walk out on a job, especially when it is inconvenient for everyone, you ought to be replaced.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Not where I live unless you are special ed. And the parents still hold down jobs. People just take the responsibilty to get their own kids to school. Heck I don't even have a drivers license and I make arrangements to get my kids to school.

I repeat...if you pay (taxes) for a service, and arrange your life accordingly, and that service stops suddenly as in a strike, and possibly very long-term, you'd have no problem with it? YOU made your arrangements for YOUR kids based on the situation that existed, just like these other parents did...they had bus service, they arranged their jobs around it. And they're paying for it with their taxes. You're very lucky if whatever your plans are for your kids, or whatever your job is, that you wouldn't flinch and can immediately make other arrangements or can drop what you're doing at your job...and continue to do so day after day. Not all people have it that easy.

I know what LOTS of people I know would do...call me, because I'm a SAHM. Lucky them.

They did for President Reagan. He gave the striking Air Traffic Controllers a day or two to come back to work and quit tying up everyone's transportation. Some did. Some didn't.

The ones who didn't were summarily replaced. Then they BEGGED for their jobs back. But he left them on strike...Heck, I guess they are still on strike.

You walk out on a job, especially when it is inconvenient for everyone, you ought to be replaced.

Oh, I agree with you...fire them. But that was an extremely rare situation...crippling a nation, and having a president step in. Most other union strikes? No chance. And it can be a very DANGEROUS situation to cross a picket line.

 

[luv2nascar]

In PA we got notification on a Friday recently bus drivers on strike effective Monday. Have to make your own transportation for kids etc. They had 18 teachers etc with license to drive bus so there was going to be a late bus but no other buses.

Although I was not thrilled and neither was my DH. What choice did I have. Although I pick DD up at bus stop in afternoon I do not get out of work in time to get her at school. So it would have meant going in even early than my 6:30am start time. We would have alternated between grandparents, & DH starting later to put her on the bus. It turns out they settled over the weekend. My only point is you rack your brain if you are in that situation and find ways to get around.

 

[C.Darwin]

Ahh, we're used to you being late for the appointments all the time, anyway. You could leave, pick her up at school, come back, and we would never know you were gone..

everyone waits a bit at the doctor's office. would you rather have a doctor that refuses to see your sick child so they can start their "scheduled" appointments on time?

Maybe the bus drivers are trying to preserve their pay, so they can take their kids to the doctor when they are sick. Did you think of that?

.

or maybe they're just greedy.

 

[disneylizzy]

My kids walk to school, but if I depended on a bus and the bus drivers went on strike and maybe my child might get home and maybe not, well, of course, I would pick him up and right after that I would be calling the head of the school committee, the town manager, the town council president and everybody else I could think of. I would be mad as hell. What right do they have to put children in jeopardy like that? Bus company should have their contract cancelled. Complain, and complain loudly. Make sure other parents do the same. Good luck.
PS I think people are missing the point of the OP completely.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

My kids walk to school, but if I depended on a bus and the bus drivers went on strike and maybe my child might get home and maybe not, well, of course, I would pick him up and right after that I would be calling the head of the school committee, the town manager, the town council president and everybody else I could think of. I would be mad as hell. What right do they have to put children in jeopardy like that? Bus company should have their contract cancelled. Complain, and complain loudly. Make sure other parents do the same. Good luck.
PS I think people are missing the point of the OP completely.

 

[golfgal]

I repeat...if you pay (taxes) for a service, and arrange your life accordingly, and that service stops suddenly as in a strike, and possibly very long-term, you'd have no problem with it? YOU made your arrangements for YOUR kids based on the situation that existed, just like these other parents did...they had bus service, they arranged their jobs around it. And they're paying for it with their taxes. You're very lucky if whatever your plans are for your kids, or whatever your job is, that you wouldn't flinch and can immediately make other arrangements or can drop what you're doing at your job...and continue to do so day after day. Not all people have it that easy.

I know what LOTS of people I know would do...call me, because I'm a SAHM. Lucky them. Oh, I agree with you...fire them. But that was an extremely rare situation...crippling a nation, and having a president step in. Most other union strikes? No chance. And it can be a very DANGEROUS situation to cross a picket line.

In our town the school bus service is considered a "luxury" and it is not a RIGHT. Kids get kicked of buses all the time for misbehaving and they have no legal standing to get reinstated. We pay taxes, and a LOT of them, and they go to the school, not the bus company. If a school CHOOSES to provided busing out of the budget, great, but again, they don't have to provide buses for ANYONE, ANYWHERE (except special ed kids). Just because you are paying taxes to the school does NOT mean you are guaranteed bus service.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I don't give a you-know-what who the middle man is. I REPEAT...I pay my taxes. With those taxes, the school system CHOOSES to provide bus service...THEY DO...whether they have to or not, THEY DO. If the bus drivers, working for the company that our town CHOOSES to pay for services, strike suddenly, then A) they should be fired, but can't be, because unions have too much power, and B) not all parents have the LUXURY, that some people here seem to have, of dropping what they're doing. potentially day after day after day after day and longer, at the mercy of the union, nor family members nearby or friends who can drop what they're doing to suddenly have to provide rides to their children, potentially day after day after day and longer, and it's NOT that they don't care about their kids!

Got it?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Didn't read responses....

I lived through a bus strike, had to drive and pick up. Lasted 2 months. Not fun.

Key is to hook up with other mom's and start a carpool...QUICK!

 

[golfgal]

I don't give a you-know-what who the middle man is. I REPEAT...I pay my taxes. With those taxes, the school system CHOOSES to provide bus service...THEY DO...whether they have to or not, THEY DO. If the bus drivers, working for the company that our town CHOOSES to pay for services, strike suddenly, then A) they should be fired, but can't be, because unions have too much power, and B) not all parents have the LUXURY, that some people here seem to have, of dropping what they're doing. potentially day after day after day after day and longer, at the mercy of the union, nor family members nearby or friends who can drop what they're doing to suddenly have to provide rides to their children, potentially day after day after day and longer, and it's NOT that they don't care about their kids!

Got it?

What if your school dropped the bus service all together, what would you do then. Again, it is not the responsibility of the school to see that your kids get to school, it is YOUR responsibility. You are lucky you still have bus service as MANY towns no longer have that luxury.

 

[Teejay32]

OK, what I was really interested in is what people WHOSE CHILDREN RIDE A SCHOOL BUS would think if they suddenly found out that maybe there would be a bus, and maybe there would not, and maybe we'll get your kids home, but maybe not.

I would think, "there probably won't be a bus" and I'd drive my kids and maybe a couple of others - not a big deal for me. Even if it was, timewise, I think I'd rather make those arrangements now, than let unions dictate the date and time they'll be inconveniencing me. (Hope that makes sense...)