Mat-Su school bus strike to continue as students return from spring break
More contract negotiations between the workers' union and bus contractor are set for next week.
What you need to know:
- A Mat-Su school bus worker strike is expected to continue when students return from spring break Monday, forcing families to arrange their own transportation. About 18,000 students normally ride district buses.
- Durham School Services and the union are set to resume contract negotiations Tuesday and Wednesday with a federal mediator after failing to reach a deal before the previous contract expired Feb. 4.
- The stalemate centers on disagreements over health screenings, training requirements and some salaries.
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PALMER — A school bus worker strike is set to continue after Mat-Su students return from spring break next week, leaving thousands of students and their families to arrange their own rides to and from school.
Contract negotiations between Teamsters Local 959, which represents the bus workers, and Durham School Services are next scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. A federal mediator is expected to attend.
Workers walked off the job March 2 after the union and officials with Durham’s parent company, Summit School Services, failed to reach a new contract agreement. A previous contract expired Feb. 4.
About 18,000 students across Mat-Su regularly ride Durham buses, school district officials said last month. About 2.11% fewer students attended school over the first three days of the strike compared with the same pre-spring break dates last year, they said.
The district does not pay for bus service on strike days, district spokesman John Notestine said in an email. Data on how much transportation money the district has saved so far because of the paused service was not immediately available, he said.
The ongoing contract stalemate is caused by disagreements over whether workers must pay out of pocket for additional health screenings, training requirements and some salaries, Durham and union officials said.
Union members spent most of spring break pulling shifts on the strike line outside the Durham bus barn near Palmer, they said. The line was paused Wednesday because of extremely cold weather, officials said.
Union officials said the striking bus workers were surprised this week when they discovered Durham had canceled their health insurance coverage, a step allowed under federal law. Union officials said they are researching whether the company was required to give them notice before doing so.
Durham officials said employees who continue to work and are not on strike have retained their health care. Union officials said some of their members were given permission last week to cross the strike line so they could continue needed training.
Both union and Durham officials said they are committed to next week’s negotiation dates.
“Our goal remains to finalize an agreement that supports employees while ensuring reliable transportation for families,” Durham spokesman Edward Flavin said in a statement.
“Teamsters sincerely hope that Durham comes ready to negotiate so the school bus workers can resume work and start safely transporting students for the remainder of the school year,” union officials said in a statement.
-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com