The local Teamsters union reached a tentative agreement with two New York City contractors so school bus service for thousands of local schoolchildren would run as scheduled.
The union was unhappy with the newest contract from Jofaz Transportation and Y&M Transit and called for the increased healthcare costs and reduced holidays to be fixed. A Teamsters spokesman said 85 percent of union members at the two companies voted in favor of a strike if their demands weren’t met.
The strike would have affected 900 workers who operate about 600 routes in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. The New York City Department of Education had set contingency plans in case of a strike with free Metro cards or reimbursement for car travel, including taxis and car services for both regular and special education students.
“We are grateful to families and educators for their patience and support as we prepared contingency plans to ensure transportation options for students,” the Department of Education said in a statement.
The contract will now go to the union membership for an authorization vote.
