Miami-Dade County School Board members voted unanimously Wednesday night to launch an investigation into who was behind a recent “sickout” staged by Miami-Dade school bus drivers.
Board member Carlos Curbelo called for the probe.
“We know that a bunch of bus drivers didn’t show up,” he said. “Now, we need to find out number one was the union involved? Number two, who instigated this if it wasn't the union and we need to hold those people accountable.”
On Friday 242 drivers did not show up for work. The drivers are fired up over a 17 percent increase in their health insurance costs, resulting in a sharp decrease in their paychecks.
The sickout stranded kids all over the county, parents scrambled to adjust schedules, and 80 schools were affected.
It is illegal for public employees to strike – and the ramifications could be severe.
“If there were employees that caused this unfortunate event, they could lose their jobs,” Curbelo said. “If the union was involved they can lose their license, and they won't be able to represent these employees in our county.”
Labor and management continue to work on deal.
Meantime, Curbelo said the stalemate should never negatively impact kids.
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“What is not acceptable is for our children’s safety to be put at risk as a negotiation tactic,” he said.
