The “Busfellas.” An allegedly mobbed up Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1181 has a strike authorization vote tonight. The local’s contract expires June 30th and a walkout could leave nearly 40,000 kids -- about half of them in special ed -- with no way to get to summer school. The Tracker thinks the union is just posturing -- after all, summer school doesn’t even start until July 5 and if they strike the workers lose summer unemployment benefits -- but we’ll see. [amNewYork]
Bus Rapid Transit. Dedicated, color-coded express bus lanes could be coming to First and Second avenues in Manhattan, Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn and Union Turnpike in Queens. [The New York Post]
Givebacks. Retired transit workers and other unions donated about $100,000 to the TWU Local 100. The union still has to pay off $2.3 million in fines from its illegal December strike. Some on the donors enjoying life in Florida say they appreciated the union’s efforts to strengthen retiree benefits. [Daily News]
Confused in Chelsea. Attorney General candidate Sean Patrick Maloney tells supporters to meet him “at the Number 1 subway station at 23rd Street and 8th Avenue in Chelsea” for a petitioning drive. The No. 1 is on 7th Avenue. [The Empire Page]
-- Chuck Bennett
