Potential bus strike may affect thousands

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Bus drivers of the Baumann Bus Company rallied outside of the Oceanside headquarters on Tuesday morning while threats of strike were still up in the air.
Bus drivers of the Baumann Bus Company rallied outside of the Oceanside headquarters on Tuesday morning while threats of strike were still up in the air.
Courtesy of TWU Local 252

Three school districts — Baldwin, Freeport, Rockville Centre issued warnings to parents of potential bus strikes by workers of the Baumann Bus Company. Though the bus company will pick up students after school on Tuesday afternoon and for school Wednesday morning, but the strike could start by Wednesday afternoon. By press time on Wednesday, it was unclear as to whether the strike would go into effect.

According to Assistant Superintendent Robert Bartels, buses servicing the Rockville Centre Union Free School District followed their normal schedules on Tuesday afternoon.

Freeport Public Schools issued a statement on their website for parents asking them to prepare with alternative transportation arrangements in the event of a strike on Wednesday.

The Baldwin Union Free School District also issued alerts on their website sharing the school buses will remain unaffected for Halloween, but not clear on what may occur on Wednesday.

A mediation meeting between Baumann and the bus drivers’ union has been scheduled for Wednesday. The Ronkonkoma based Baumann is negotiating with the drivers that are represented by the TWU Local 252.

A representative of TWU shared on Tuesday that the bus drivers didn’t’ want to disrupt any of the children’s Halloween plans. “The company agreed to sit back down with us after the union put some pressure on them. We’ll be back at the bargaining table again Wednesday,” TWU 252 office staff member said.

More updates as the story develops.

Zach Gottehrer Cohen contributed to this story.