If a bus driver shortage isn’t bad enough, some school districts, like Las Cruces Public Schools in New Mexico, face dire straits as the drivers they do have threaten to strike, reports Las Cruces Sun News.
More than 7,000 students could soon be without a way to and from school if the Las Cruces drivers’ demands are not met. Their union claims the drivers are being forced by contractor Student Transportation Specialists to operated overcrowded buses, not to mention that some drivers say they have not received pay raises in several years and others are not being given enough sick days. Negotiations for a new contract were expected to take all of Wednesday.
Earlier, union members told the local ABC-afiliate that a strike was imminent. But a judge granted a temporary restraining order filed by the school district to force drivers to continue transportation services.
In addition to home-to-school routes, after-school sports and activity trips would also be affected.
