Dozens of school bus drivers in Meriden are on strike and picketing Friday, the third day of school in the city, and there were some contentious moments.
A union representing about 60 Meriden bus drivers is leading the strike and bus drivers had picket signs Friday morning and they are chanting and blocking buses.
The drivers have been picketing since 5 a.m., looking for higher pay, 401K contributions and healthcare assistance.
At one point, bus drivers on the picket line were screaming at bus drivers who were about to do their runs and blocked them from leaving the parking lot.
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"We're a little disappointed because we're supposed to be united. This should not have happened," one woman said.
The picketers plan to continue until 5 p.m.
Contract negotiations have been going on since May and the drivers, represented by Teamsters, gave New Britain Transportation Company until 11:59 p.m. Thursday to reach a deal for a new contract and avoid a strike.
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The two sides are at odds over wages, according to union members and representatives who were out on a practice picket line on the Berlin Turnpike Thursday.
“We’re gonna be on strike, like we said, as long as it takes. As long as it takes, we’re gonna be here, because there’s no other way. There’s no other way that we’re gonna be successful if we don‘t stick together and we go wherever we have to go, as long as it takes to get a contract,” Pedro Valentin, a Meriden bus driver, said.
Meriden Public Schools sent a notice to parents that school will be in session on Friday, Sept. 1, even if there was a strike. Parents who are able to drive their children to school are asked to do so.
Meriden Mayor Kevin Scarpati said teachers and administrators went to school early to open the buildings, greeted the children as they arrived and made sure they got into school safely.
Scarpati said more than 8,500 students go to school in the district, around 5,000 get to school by bus, and attendance on Friday was over 89%.
He said Friday morning that the city has been working with the Board of Education and police to ensure that schools would be open.
The school district expects that bus transportation will not be available on Tuesday, either.
"We continue to encourage families that are able to do so to drive their children to school on Tuesday. We will continue to have staff available to open all of our schools an hour early and keep them open an hour later so that parents and caregivers can drop their children off before the normal time and pick their children up after the normal dismissal time," the school district said Friday.
Police officers were out at every school Friday morning to ensure there were no traffic issues and that students walking to school got there, the mayor said. Police will be there are dismissal as well.
Scarpati said neighbors were working together to carpool and get students to school.
“So, overall, the message of support from the community has been one that has been overwhelming and I hope that we can then take this message of community over to NBT, New Britain Transportation, and the Teamsters as well. Our parents stepped up, our teachers stepped up, out administrators stepped up. We need NBT and the Teamsters to step up as well,” the mayor said.
“And they need to sit down at the table to negotiate either a short-term or a long-term solution so that we can get our kids back on buses, into schools, because we realize that what happened today should not be and will not be the norm,” Scarpati said.
Absences will be excused on Friday and on Tuesday.
New Britain Transportation issued this statement to NBC Connecticut before the strike:
“NBT hopes that the drivers come to work tomorrow to drive the Meriden children to school.”
NBC Connecticut reached out to New Britain Transportation Friday for comment and we have not heard back.
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