A strike planned for Monday, which would include more than 100 school bus drivers and monitors in Middletown and Cromwell, may go ahead if an agreement is not reached between DATTCO and union members in time.
Leaders with Teamsters Union Local 671 and the bus company DATTCO agreed to extend contract negotiations on Sept. 29, postponing a planned strike that was suppose to happen on Wednesday, according to union officials. The extension was only agreed to until Oct. 6, and the union said so far they have not reached another agreement to extend the negotiations.
“If DATTCO refuses to provide an offer that respects the school bus workers and the children they serve, Middletown and Cromwell school bus drivers remain committed to going on strike next week,” Local 671 spokesperson Bryan Chong said.
The union said its members agreed to an extension earlier this week out of safety for children and because DATTCO has shown some good faith in negotiating important contract provisions. The union said it is fighting for fair wages and union healthcare for all school bus workers, not just a select few with seniority, which is a big part of the current negotiations.
If the strike does go ahead on Monday, a picket line is planned from 5:15 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. directly outside the DATTCO school bus yard located at 131 Tuttle Road in Middletown, Chong said.
“Since the contract expired on July 1, DATTCO has consistently presented proposals that fall far below industry and area standards, showing blatant disrespect for Middletown and Cromwell school bus workers. Even with the contract extension agreed to by the union in August to ensure students get a positive start to their school year, the company has continued its attempts to undermine critical provisions regarding union security, subcontracting protections, wage standards, health benefits, retirement security and basic workers’ rights,” the union said in a statement.
The decision to delay the strike offered a temporary sigh of relief, but the threat of a looming strike next week still exists. Middletown Public Schools said the district is quickly working on contingency plans if the strike occurs. The district did not elaborate on what those plans are.
“Middletown Public Schools continue to monitor the ongoing negotiations between Teamsters Union Local 671 and DATTCO. We are aware of a possible strike and are exploring every reasonably available option to avoid disruption to the educational process. While we are not a part of the negotiation process between the two parties, MPS and the Middletown Board of Education hope that the parties will reach an agreement soon and allow our students and families to succeed in a safe and supportive learning environment,” Middletown Public Schools said in a statement.
“In the meantime, MPS’s administrative team is proactively working to develop contingency plans that could be implemented if a strike occurs and that are aimed at helping to maintain the continuity of education across the district and providing safe and reliable means of transportation for our students,” the district said.
A spokesperson with Cromwell Public Schools said the district is also monitoring the situation closely.
If the strike occurs next week, several other communities may be impacted. Teamsters Local 671 also represents school bus drivers employed by DATTCO in several other towns including Bloomfield, Windsor, Coventry and Hebron in addition to Middletown and Cromwell. If the union goes on strike in Middletown and Cromwell, union officials said they will extend the picket line to the four other DATTCO yards, where school bus drivers will have the legal right to be on the picket line and not go to work.
The union said that despite the uncertainty in Middletown and Cromwell, about 70 school bus drivers in East Hartford employed by DATTCO and represented by Teamsters Local 671 voted 98% in favor to ratify a new four-year contract with significant wage increases, as well as union health insurance for all drivers effective Jan. 1, 2026.
While an agreement has been reached in East Hartford, the school bus drivers in East Hartford will have the legal and contractual right to honor any picket line extension that may occur and not go into work, the union said.
“Our union successfully fought back against DATTCO’s divisive and unfair offers in East Hartford, and we will do so again for school bus Teamsters in Middletown and Cromwell,” said Anthony Lepore, principal officer for Teamsters Local 671. “DATTCO must offer Middletown and Cromwell school bus workers the same respect that East Hartford drivers won in their new contract. We will not allow DATTCO to create a second-class tier of Teamsters in Connecticut.”
Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@courant.com.