Unions, school bus company, trade blame in Las Cruces strike
Source: AP
By CEDAR ATTANASIO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Unions and a school bus company blame each other for a school bus driver strike that shut down much of the public school transportation serving 3,500 students in Las Cruces.
Drivers picketed the office of southern New Mexico district school bus contractor STS New Mexico on Thursday, demanding better pay and working conditions, the Las Cruces Sun-News reports.
Bus driver shortages have strained schools across the state, as education officials struggle to hire and train more workers. Some offer free training, signing bonuses and other perks for new employees.
The shortage has led the company to push mechanics into driving service, meaning there arent mechanics to fix buses when they break down, a bus driver union representative told the Sun-News.
School bus drivers strike in front their employer's building in Las Cruces, N.M., on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. School bus drivers in Las Cruces have gone on strike, shutting down much of the public school transportation system that serves 3,500 students. (Nathan J. Fish/The Las Cruces Sun News via AP)
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/business-education-new-mexico-strikes-las-cruces-3ee6e74042d3217905985f4cc9d742a3