#MTA warns of delays as striking workers refuse to clean buses

Big Apple commuters should expect bus delays Thursday morning because transit workers are refusing to clean and disinfect buses, the MTA said.

MTA spokeswoman Abbey Collins called the act by employees at the Jackie Gleason Bus Depot in Brooklyn a “systematic effort to disrupt service and not sanitize buses for customers.”

“Service will be impacted this morning due to a job action in Brooklyn resulting in TWU workers refusing to clean and disinfect buses prior to them being placed into service to move customers,” she said. “We thank our customers for their patience.”

Collins followed up saying there were “residual delays because managers worked all night to move resources around and deal with this unplanned action. Their hard work allowed us to mitigate the impacts.”

Multiple bus routes are experiencing delays Thursday morning, including on Staten Island, though it’s unclear if they’re linked to the dispute.

TWU did not immediately return a request for comment.

In the summer, transit workers clashed with MTA brass over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, with one union official saying the agency failed to keep workers safe.