New York City may be putting the safety of public and private school students who ride the city’s “Yellow” bus fleet at risk. In sending out a request for competitive bids on certain routes—the current contracts expire June 30—the Department of Education is dropping a long-standing requirement that proven, experienced and trained drivers and bus monitors retain their jobs.

New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento and New York City Central Labor Council President Vincent Alvarez say in a joint statement that the requirement:

Ensures that the best drivers and crews are responsible for transporting our children to school and is thereby directly related to safety.

In the past the city has defended the Employee Protection Provision (EPP) and has gone to court several times to defend the provision but now claims the courts have ruled the EPP illegal. Cilento and Alvarez say:

There seems to be a severe case of amnesia sweeping through City Hall these days. City officials have conveniently forgotten that they defended the cost and the legality of including the [EPP] contracts in court. The simple fact is the EPP is not illegal. The city is hiding behind an unrelated Court of Appeals decision that does not apply.

In fact, they point out in one court case, the city said, “EPPs advanced accepted competitive bidding goals by…facilitating the use of proven, experienced workers, hence enhancing quality.”

Sign a petition to the mayor’s office urging that the EPP is maintained in the bidding process.

Last week at a rally at City Hall Park, drivers, monitors—members of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1181—and parents called on the city to put the safety of the children first.

Sara Catalinotto, a lower Manhattan parent whose autistic 10-year-old son rides the bus, told Newsday that the city should include the EPP in the bidding process if officials "care about busing our children….It's the protection that ends up helping our kids."

Cilento and Alvarez say that while they support the competitive bidding process,

We must put the safety of New York City children first. Hopefully, City Hall will recognize that it created this problem, and therefore can solve it simply by once again recognizing the importance of the EPP and the safe experienced workforce it creates.

While some reports have indicated a strike over the issue is looming, ATU officials have not announced any action.