EVERETT — Unionized school bus drivers in Everett may walk off the job if negotiations with the company Everett Public Schools contracts its bus services from continue to go poorly, labor organizers said.
Members of the Teamsters Local 38, which represents the 175 school bus drivers that help transport the nearly 20,000 students who attend school in the Everett district, are in disagreement with Durham School Services over its latest contract, Local 38 president Pete Lamb said in an interview Wednesday.
School bus drivers in Everett first voted to join the local Teamsters union in 2019. The Teamsters’ latest contract with Durham expired on July 31 and the union voted to authorize a strike on Sept. 5.
“We’ve been free to take them on strike this entire time,” Lamb said. “But we take the responsibility and the fact that there’s kids impacted and parents impacted very seriously. We want to make sure that we’ve done everything in our power to get a fair contract done without having to disrupt our community.”
The holdups in negotiations relate to pay, retirement benefits and health care coverage, Lamb said. The union is asking for wages that meet an industry standard and looking to enshrine improved benefits set to go into effect soon due to a state law. The law, approved in 2024, will require contracted transportation companies to provide health care coverage and retirement benefits at the same level as other school employees.
In a statement, Durham School Services wrote that the company is “disappointed to learn the union is threatening to strike and risk disrupting the new school year for many students.”
“We have been bargaining in good faith with the Teamsters and have offered competitive market wages and a benefits package that we believe is fair and compelling,” wrote Anna Lam, a spokesperson, in an email Wednesday. “Unfortunately, the Teamsters have repeatedly rejected our offers and walked away from the bargaining table, unilaterally cancelled several bargaining meetings despite our efforts to negotiate, and also refused to sign a collective bargaining agreement extension that would allow us to continue bargaining without disrupting students’ education.”
The union has yet to go on strike over the contract negotiation, but held an informational picket Tuesday to spread the word about its contract fight. On Wednesday, Lamb said the potential for a strike was “imminent.”
KIRO 7 previously reported on the possible work stoppage.
The company has scheduled another bargaining date with the union for Oct. 15. The union could still go out on strike at any time, but Lamb said the Teamsters take that responsibility seriously and will “do everything in our power to get a deal done without a labor dispute taking place,” he said.
“It is going to depend on whether the company comes to the table and truly bargains in good faith and truly tries to work to get a deal done,” Lamb said. “It’s going to be incumbent on them and how they come in and how they conduct themselves.”
In its statement, Durham School Services wrote that the company “will continue to bargain in good faith to respectfully address the best interests of our employees, the school district, students and their parents and hope that the Teamsters will do the same.”
Everett Public Schools said Durham School Services notified the district that the company has scheduled the next date to resume negotiations.
”The district does not anticipate any immediate disruption to bus service and is in regular communication with Durham. Should any disruption to our regular transportation occur, the district will notify all affected families immediately,” district spokesperson Harmony Weinberg wrote in an email. “Our priority remains ensuring that students have safe and reliable transportation to and from school. We will continue to monitor the situation.”
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.