Despite State requirements providing bus transportation for private schools for Thanksgiving, X-mas and on New Years, many private schools this year have declined busing for X-mas.
For New Years, nearly all private schools have accepted busing.
During Thanksgiving, about half the schools declined busing.
For years, I have advocated on the inside to bring back in-house busing. Lakewood citizens need good, secure, decent jobs. This issue would then be irrelevant.
How does having own buses make issue go away??
My grandfather worked for the Post Office during the 30s until reitrement. He would work on Christmas and his Gentile colleagues would work on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur.
Our local district will employ local people who can easily make such an arrangement.
to A Lang
How would BOE owned buses solve this? Either way the drivers would be obligated (wrongfully) to drive. It’s a question of respect, the people of Lakewood clearly disrespect the drivers as the only 2 days a year (Thanksgiving and Christmas) that they want off, they don’t tell the BOE we don’t want busing, give them the day to be with family and friends. However, the Jewish calender that has multiple days/weeks off throughout the year for holidays, the drivers respect that. The drivers don’t petition the BOE that they be paid because they don’t celebrate those holidays. The drivers don’t disrespect your children leading up to those days saying they don’t care about your holidays, many will wish your children a happy one. A school bus driver is not an essential personnel, they are not police, fire, EMS, the military, etc. They only ask for 2 specific days off per year and they deserve that. I think the Jewish community can be inconvenienced 2 days a year out of respect considering the many days on the Jewish calender that the children are off that leaves the drivers short in their pay. It would have been a positive gesture that would have harbored positive feeling and opinion if the community banned together and refused busing on Thanksgiving. It can still be a positive gesture if busing is refused on Christmas so the drivers can spend it with their children, husbands, wives, family and friends instead of a bus from 5:45am to 6pm-11pm at night. Even careers with essential positions try to give those with children Thanksgiving/Christmas off to be with family.
As a Lakewood resident for 26 years, a former school bus driver and someone who now is essential personnel and must work Christmas I implore the people of Lakewood to deny transportation on Christmas. Good will towards your fellow man is what this holiday is supposed to be about and the respect that will be shown will earn the Jewish community of Lakewood a great amount of respect from the men and women who transport your children safely day in and day out.
I meant #4 oops, sorry
to ~to A Lang says:
#4
totally agree with your words of wisdom, this is why we have unions in this country (yes they are wrong also on many issues!) but this type of “abuse” would never be tolerated if these workers had representation
Its really wrong of the yeshivas to demand state school buses on the holidays, in NY its obvious it would never fly, as yeshiva school buses do not work on any legal holiday, except for private / yeshiva owned busses. And don’t tell me about all the inconvenience, you have to be more sensitive to the bus drivers.
Everyone should be off from work on Thanksgiving, Memorial Day and Independence Day!
Those three days are National Holidays, days that all people who live in the United States of America should celebrate- regardless of religion. They are holidays that represent the freedom of America. If it wasn’t for the different events that occured at these times, there are many people in this country that would not be able to live the lives that they do.
#4 Are you sure the drivers don’t get paid when there’s a jewish holiday?
. perhaps the bus companies can hire substitute drivers for the days that those in observance of christmas and new years take off. this town is just mad when schools dont have bussing.
#4 Well said, and I agree totally.
Well said #7,you said what a lot of people have been saying.
first of all when the Jewish school have off WE DO NOT GET PAID we have short hours in our paid so by asking for two days off a year will not hurt any one hell they are out driving anyother day one more day will not kill them !!
There is nothing wrong with a public job, collective bargaining, state pension and health benefits. We are an endangered species today, public employees, a relic of a by-gone era. Our townspeople people need good secure jobs and by bringing busing in-house, drivers will have secure, public, salaried jobs.
#8 no drivers do not get paid when schools are closed, nor do drivers get paid when they do not drive be it for a school closing, holiday, or sick. Bus companies could not afford to pay that amount each.
what most do not seem to realize that almost all of the bus companies drive for both the jewish community and the public school system. So even when one is closed the usually the other is open. Almost all of the drivers work year round, some six days a week without an argument usually only ending up with only a very short time off at the end of august when all of the schools are closed anywhere from a couple of days to maybe a week off, without being paid.
@ #8, NO we DO NOT get paid for Jewish Holidays nor do we get paid for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any other holiday, that is why we ask for only 2 days off . Like #4 said, it’s a matter of RESPECT.
to #4 and all of the above, while you are 1000% right, what does the the contract say. If it says they have to work, than they have to work. every year we go through the same issue, this should be discusred when the contracts are given. the reason they are not is because the bus companies want these contracts $$$$$$$$$$ and don’t want to rock the boat.
I have no problem taking my kid to school on holidays, but you also have to remember there is now going to be 100’s of extra cars now on the road which means more cops will be needed. so there is a ripple effect.
This issue will never be ans, on this forum, so to end have a very happy holiday’s and a safe new year.
ps, buses should be off on all holiday’s but instead should be used on sunday’s
The only way to have respect both ways is for the public schools to be open on Yom Kippur and Rosh HaShana. The public school district is 99% gentile maybe more. This is a start in the right direction.
If the district had it’s own busing it would cost tax payers in the end. People should know the facts before they speak. The one way to ensure taxes do not rise if Lakewood had it’s own buses would be to include all residents, buildings, schools pay taxes.
If the district had it’s own busing it would cost tax payers in the end. People should know the facts before they speak. The one way to ensure taxes do not rise if Lakewood had it’s own buses would be to make sure all residents, buildings, schools pay taxes.
Great posts #4 & #7!!
why is my comment still in moderation since 5:25 AM? It is now 11:50 AM, I didn’t say anything bad just answered the ladies question.
if drivers don’t work there is no pay. Many of them do not even get sick time or vacation time…
time to unionize and and have a voice that speaks on your behalf ,people will only do to you what you allow them to do ! Stand up for your rights and demand what is only fair and just !
Merry Christmas to all bus drivers that have to work I am also driving today
Unionize, it’s time the country realizes the unions time has come and gone. Unions have forced companies to go to china and production outside of America because of inane demands. The latest casualty was Hostess. My twinkees and cupcakes are gone forever.
The unions almost killed the auto industry single handed.
The bottom line here is if schools are opened for religious holidays they should be opened for all, all closed for all.
To #4- That is exactly what this article says – that most Lakewood NP schools TURNED DOWN busing for today, thereby showing respect to a holiday they do not observe – I am not sure what you are preaching – or complaining – about!