Farmingdale, Public Library
2,74 Wain Street v _____
FarmingHale, N « Y. 11735 m 1
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On news lands or
$ 4 per year by n. cri I AN OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE INCORPORATED VILLAQE OF FARMINGDALE
SERVING GREATER FARMINGDAL E. BETHPAGE & MELVJLLt
Vol. 5 No. 23 Second Class Postage has been paid at Farmingdale, N„ Y. 11735 Thursday, January 25, 1968
BUS STRIKE HITS
DISTRICT About 9,500 of the 13,000 school district 22 public and
parochial pupils, who are transported to school by bus, found
themselves on Monday and ^ p^ ry day this week, either walking
to school or having their pa . nts drive them.
School officials were o.*'* eiairy notified of the Long Island Bus
Company drivers intention of a walkout last Friday at 2: 30 p. m.
when they received a telephone call and later a written statement
frjom Rudolph Martorella, owner of the Long Island Bus
Company, which holds the major contract for busing in school
district 22.
Members of the school administration spent the rest of Fri -
day afternoon and evening preparing a letter to be mailed that
evening to over 13,000 school district taxpayers.
The walkout dispute involves the drivers and mechanics of the
Long Island Bus Company who had formed Local # 1 as their
bargaining agent in preference to their former affiliation with
local 252 of the Transport Workers Union ( A FL- CIO). According
to a school spokesman, the case of official recognition of bargaining
representation was pending in Albany before the State
Labor Relations Board since last September. This meant that the
drivers were without an official bargaining agent since that time.
The drivers have been dissatisfied with their present salary
and are seeking a 35- cent- an- hour pay hike. They now earn
$ 2.15 an hour or $ 96.75 a week for a nine- hour day.
Despite the short notice of no busing facilities, school district
officials said that there was no appreciable drop in attendance
STEPHEN J. SHEPARD, Jr. of 467 Secatogue Avenue, Farmingdale,
( left), who recently completed his thirty first year
of service with Nassau County Government, is pictured being
congratulated by Nassau County Executive Eugene H. flicker-son.
Eighty employees received 30 year pins from Nickerson
during ceremony held recently in the Police Headquarters
Auditorium in Mineola.
SCHOOLS on Monday or Tuesday of this week. Members of the custodial
staff at each of the schools were deployed to control traffic
around the various school buildings when private automobiles
converged on the nine public schools and the several parochial
schools in the district. Parents were most cooperative and-delivered
their children within one or two blocks of the schools,
as requested in the letter, in order to prevent serious safety
and traffic hazards.
Meetings were held this week between the union, the bus
company and state officials to decide the issue of who would"
represent the workers. It was determined tohoidan election this
Friday for the union which will decide the official bargaining
agent for the bus drivers.
After this point is decided, salary negotiations will begin.
Parents will be informed immediately, when the strike is settled,
a school official told The Observer.
In order to provide transportation for the emotionally disturbed,
the mentally retarded and the physically handicapped
who are attending district schools, the union has seven buses
operating daily with volunteer drivers. Students attending most
private schools and special classes outside the district were not
affected by the walkout because different bus companies hold the
school district contracts including Raybern, Morley Bus Co. and
J. and D. Bus Co.
The Long Island Bus Company has a one year contract with the
school district. The agreement expires the 30th of June 1968.
Receiving the first place award in a Voice of Democracy contest
sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars is Ronald Coffey ( c) of
Farmingdale High School at- a ceremony held on Tuesday. Pictured
making the presentation is Post Commander Fred Wuerth
( r) and Lew Dale, chairman of the contest. POIPWM HHO « O
