Boston Mayoral Candidates Speak Out About Bus Strike

By Tony Catinella

Boston Mayoral candidates may disagree on many topics leading up to next months election, but one thing they can agree on is their disgust with the Boston Public Schools bus driver strike.

This morning after the wildcat strike was announced, there were only 30 of Boston's 650 school buses on the road this morning after the driver's went on strike.

The School Department called it an "illegal work action," though it is unclear whether the union authorized the strike or if drivers took matters into their own hands. 

The mayoral candidates,  John Connolly and Marty Walsh  are calling it “shameful” and “wrong” on their Facebook Pages:

“It is shameful for the school bus drivers union to use our children as pawns in a political game,” Connolly said. “This is about safety first and foremost, and it is totally unacceptable that our children were put at risk this morning, not to mention the impact on thousands of parents who will miss work. Missing even one day of school is a real problem for our children who face a daunting achievement gap.”

Walsh shared similar comments.

“Kids and parents must come first,” he said. “This is wrong. The bus drivers have put our children in harm’s way. This is an illegal action, causing a huge disruption, and I call on the bus drivers to return to work immediately. This is a violation of the contract and cannot be tolerated.”