Nassau Community College staff and students brace for commute home
Fannie Lee, of Brentwood, a financial advisor at Nassau Community College. Credit: Rick Kopstein
At Nassau Community College, some students and staff were bracing Monday for a grueling commute home amid the strike.
"It's going to be atrocious," said Fannie Lee, 53, a financial aid counselor. "To be honest, I've stressed about it all weekend.”
Lee said she left her Brentwood home at 5:30 a.m. Monday, 45 minutes earlier than usual, but encountered double the amount of traffic on her commute to the Garden City school.
"I was able to get here pretty effortlessly, but I had to wake up an hour earlier … in order to not suffer from any potential road rage," she said.
As far as the ongoing contract negotiations, she said, "I don't understand why the two parties can't compromise."
Student Louise Castaneda, 24, of Valley Stream, said it took her an extra 15 minutes on top of her usual 30-minute drive to get to class.
But many other students said Monday's commute was like any regular weekday.
Sierra Hopper, 28, from Seaford, said the strike hasn't “impacted my commute whatsoever."
Lorena Mongelli has been reporting for Newsday since 2021. Prior to that, she covered breaking news at the New York Post.
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