MIDDLE COUNTRY SCHOOL DISTRICT ISSUES REQUEST TO CONTRACT OUT BUS DRIVERS

MIDDLE COUNTRY, NY (02/06/2019) (readMedia)-- The Middle Country School District Board of Education is considering contracting out their school bus driver positions. According to a recent Request for Proposals, private bus transportation companies are submitting their bids to take over the Middle Country bus drivers' pick-up and drop-offs. If the School Board decides to give away the current bus runs, more than 65 drivers represented by CSEA will lose their Middle Country School District jobs.

"There is no financial need for the district to let go of a hardworking, capable group of drivers in lieu of new drivers who are strangers to the children and to their needs," said CSEA Middle Country School District Transportation Unit President John Meyer. "Being a school bus driver is about knowing the routes and it's about building relationships which establishes trust."

"I was both shocked and disappointed when I heard the board was considering contracting out CSEA bus drivers," said CSEA Long Island Region President Nick LaMorte. "There is no one more important than our trusted school bus drivers who carry our most precious treasures - our children."

"We implore parents and community members to tell the school board to keep CSEA bus drivers in Middle Country," said Meyer.

The Middle Country school board will be opening the bids that have been submitted and making their decision at an upcoming meeting. The next Board of Education meeting is February 27, 2019. All board meetings are held at Centereach High School, are open to the public and begin at 7 p.m.

About CSEA:

The Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) is one of the largest and most influential unions in New York and the United States. CSEA has about 300,000 members and represents state, county, municipal, school district, child care, and private sector employees. Formed in 1910, CSEA has improved the lives of hardworking New Yorkers for more than 100 years, and is the largest affiliate of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). For more information, go to CSEANY.org.