Res. No. 201

Resolution calling upon the New York City Department of Education to create a pilot program for a worker- and parent-controlled electric school bus company to provide services to New York City school children beginning in September 2018.

By Council Members Rosenthal, Levin, Cornegy, Dromm, Maisel, Brannan and Treyger

Whereas, Parent, education, labor, environmental and economic justice organizations have expressed support for the development of an electric school bus worker cooperative in New York City that would be governed by the workers themselves and include representation from students’ parents; and

Whereas, Under the leadership of Mayor Bill de Blasio, the City’s Department of Small Business Services has supported worker-owned cooperatives as a means of creating economic opportunity and better working conditions for all New Yorkers; and

Whereas, In several countries, worker-owned cooperatives have been successful in bringing together both workers and citizens to deliver public services; and

Whereas, Worker-owned cooperatives in the United States have been shown to be both productive and equitable for workers and consumers alike; and

Whereas, According to the Comptroller’s Office, New York City spends $1.2 billion annually on school busing contracts with private providers; and

Whereas, Few busing contracts are awarded to firms owned by women or minorities despite the fact that a majority of school bus workers are themselves women and minorities; and

Whereas, Private bus companies transport 150,000 children to and from New York City schools annually on approximately 9,000 diesel powered buses; and

Whereas, According to the Environmental Protection Agency, diesel exhaust from school buses has a negative impact on the environment and human health, especially for children who have a faster breathing rate than adults and whose lungs are not yet fully developed; and

Whereas, Electric-powered school buses could help to alleviate the negative impact that diesel exhaust has on the environment and human health; and

Whereas, The New York City Department of Education (DOE) is currently accepting bids from private companies to provide transportation services on 1,600 school bus routes starting in September 2018; and

Whereas, Advocates for electric school bus worker cooperatives are committed to the immediate implementation of a program for their use and the creation of a center where workers can learn more about cleaner school bus transportation in the City; and

Whereas, There is value in working with these advocates to develop a pilot program that would award to electric school bus worker cooperatives contracts for 40 out of the 1,600 school bus routes for which DOE is currently accepting bids; and

Whereas, The Procurement Policy and Procedures of the DOE permit the Chancellor to award demonstration projects; and

Whereas, Awarding a demonstration project for an electric school bus worker cooperative could help improve the city’s school busing system by promoting better air quality and by demonstrating that citizens and workers can provide valuable public services; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York City Department of Education to create a pilot program for a worker- and parent-controlled electric school bus company to provide services to New York City school children beginning in September 2018.

LS 5461
PLS
2/26/18