Copyright Staten Island Advance
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A contract dispute between New York City and school bus companies could leave approximately 150,000 students without transportation to and from school starting next month. Pioneer Transportation Corp. informed New York state on Monday that it plans to end school bus service after Oct. 31, laying off about 12,000 union employees, according to a letter obtained by the Advance/SILive.com. It’s one of several major school bus companies that notified the state Department of Labor ahead of layoffs under the Working Adjustment and Retraining Notification laws. Buses operating under ‘emergency contracts’ Pioneer placed blame on the city Department of Education’s Panel on Education Policy not approving a five-year contract extension, which was originally scheduled to begin on July 1, 2025. Pioneer said it has been operating under an “emergency contract” pending the approval of this contract. According to the New York Post, other bus companies, Logan, Transportation Corp., and Consolidated, have also been given month-to-month emergency contracts. Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos said in a statement that recent reports of bus companies are contemplating mass layoffs if they don’t receive a five-year contract is “deeply upsetting and an act of bad faith.” “The timing and pursuit of a five-year extension for school bus contracts, coming just weeks before a major citywide election, effectively bypasses the oversight of voters and elected officials who manage these vital services. In the interest of uninterrupted service and public trust, we urge all parties to reject tactics that circumvent transparent, democratic processes and to keep the focus where it belongs, on the needs of our students and families,” Aviles-Ramos said in a statement. Bus service could impact 150K Pioneer said that the panel did not include the contract extension for consideration in its next meeting, scheduled for Oct. 29 — and instead added a resolution to oppose the contract extension. Without a contract, Pioneer said it can’t commit to purchasing buses and long-term leases necessary to continue its services. As of now, bus service for students will end after Oct. 31, Pioneer stated in the letter. It means more than 150,000 students citywide, including many students on Staten Island, will not have bus service starting Saturday, Nov. 1. According to a source with knowledge of the contract dispute and bus service on Staten Island, Pioneer provides service for all general education routes on Staten Island, as well as over 75 special education routes. It also provides service to Catholic, Hebrew, and Islamic schools in the borough. The employment of about 12,000 union Pioneer employees would also be in jeopardy, the company stated. NYC ensuring alternative transportation The Panel on Education Policy is expected to vote on the bus contracts next month, after the mayoral election, according to Chalkbeat. The chancellor said that the city hasn’t received any formal notice of mass layoffs by busing companies and is working proactively to ensure alternative transportation services are in place, if needed. “We are also making information available to our families and school communities regarding options in case of bus companies ceasing to run routes,” Aviles-Ramos said. “Emergency extension contracts have already been sent to bus companies to ensure service continues beyond October 31, as has been long planned.”
