Mat-Su school bus service to restart Tuesday after union and Durham reach agreement
Workers voted this week to ratify the new contract; bus service to resume for final weeks of school year
What you need to know:
- A contract agreement between Mat-Su’s school bus contractor and the bus workers union ended a more than eight-week Mat-Su school bus strike after members approved it in a vote this week.
- About 230 bus drivers and staff will return to work, and bus service will resume Tuesday.
- The strike began March 2 and centered on disputes over training and whether workers must pay out of pocket for certain health care checks.
- Short on time but need the local news scoop? Get free weekly news in your inbox for Mat-Su, from Mat-Su.
PALMER — A more than eight-week Mat-Su school bus worker strike ended this week after employees approved a new contract, restoring bus service for the final weeks of the school year.
Durham School Services and Teamsters Local 959 reached a tentative contract agreement Wednesday, according to a Teamsters statement, and workers ratified the contract Thursday.
The deal comes after weeks of on-again, off-again negotiations, including two days of talks this week.
The agreement clears the way for 230 Durham bus drivers, monitors and attendants to return to work, with school bus routes running starting Tuesday, union officials said.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District officials said they were notified of the agreement and expect regular bus service to restart Tuesday.
Workers first walked off the job March 2 following a 10-day strike notice. A contract between Durham and the workers expired in early February.
"Teamsters want to thank the families of the Mat-Su Valley for their patience during this strike and understand the stress it has put on so many families. If ratified, this contract will improve the procedures, training, and culture that will lead to safer busing for the Mat-Su School District," union officials said in a statement.
Contract negotiations between Durham and the Teamsters focused on a range of training, safety and wage- or benefit-related issues, including whether employees must pay out of pocket for additional health screenings required by Durham but not by state rules, union and Durham officials said in a series of statements since February.
Durham officials said they believed the proposed deal will be welcomed by the union members.
"Wage and insurance concerns were both addressed, and both parties are satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations," they said in a statement. "We want the very best for our drivers and want them to be the safest on the road for our students."
About 18,000 Mat-Su students are without bus service because of the strike, Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District officials said last month.
A previous strike in 2023 lasted just over four weeks and came after months of rotating no-bus service days for students triggered by insufficient staffing.
The district saves about $100,000 each day buses do not run, administrators told the school board during a meeting last month. It spends about $20 million each year on student transportation, with about $3.5 million coming from local taxpayers and the rest from the state, officials said during the meeting.
Any money saved as a result of the strike will go toward future transportation costs, they said.
-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com
This story was updated April 29 to include a statement from Durham School Services. This story was updated April 30 to reflect a worker vote ratifying the new contract.