Bus Strike Averted - First Student, SEIU Drivers & Monitors in Multiple Communities Reach Agreement

Bus Strike Averted - First Student, SEIU Drivers & Monitors in Multiple Communities Reach Agreement

After First Student bus drivers, monitors and aides who are members of SEIU 1199 New England announced that they planned to begin an open strike beginning November 2 -- a labor agreement has been reached, GoLocal has learned. 

"First Student is pleased to have reached a tentative contract agreement with SEIU 1199, serving the West Warwick and Lincoln school districts. We look forward to getting back to focusing entirely on what we do best, providing safe and reliable transportation for our school district partners and their families," said First Student spokesperson Frank McMahon. 

"In today’s contract agreement, union workers were able to secure a four year contract that provides a fair wage increase and an increase in guaranteed hours. Now that a tentative agreement has been reached, the full membership of SEIU 1199NE bus drivers, monitors and aides will vote to ratify the contract, at which time more details will be available," said SEIU in a statement. 

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“I’ve been a school bus driver for 13 years and many of the kids I transport have special physical and behavioral needs that require special accommodations and increased attention. We are happy that First Student was finally willing to come to the table with proposals that will help us better take care of our families and do our jobs. Even before the pandemic, First Student could not recruit bus drivers, monitors to do this work and we are hopeful that better hours and pay will go a long way in attracting more workers to the field. At the end of the day, it’s our students who benefit most,” said Mike McDermott, a bus driver at the Metro yard in Cranston.

The strike would have impacted 275 employees who work in the Lincoln, West Warwick and Cranston bus yards. 

As GoLocal had previously reported when members had voted to strike: 

"The action by the union comes as Rhode Island schools are deemed to be in 'crisis,' according to a report by the Rhode Island Public Expenditures Council released on October 13. 

And on Monday, the Nation's Report Card on the performance of schools found that Rhode Island schools have dropped to the second lowest in New England."

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First published 11/1/2022 1:35 PM

Updated 11/1/2022 2:47 PM