School bus drivers and monitors who work for the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union have unanimously ratified a new union contract, ending a drawn-out and tense negotiation process.
The contract was formally ratified on Monday after a tentative deal was reached last week between Vermont Teamsters Local 597 and their employer Travel Kuz, an affiliate of Beacon mobility.
“We're happy to reach a positive resolution that the drivers and monitors were happy with,” said union president Curtis Clough.
There were many disputes throughout the negotiation process, most recently over a provision allowing union members to observe drivers’ strikes in other communities. The union was planning to hold its own strike on September 18, but called it off when Travel Kuz agreed to uphold the protections.
After the tentative deal was struck, Travel Kuz President of Operations Scott Sheridan wrote in a statement that the company was “pleased to have reached an agreement.”
The 5-year contract includes immediate and long-term wage increases. Senior drivers will get a 26% increase in wages over the course of the contract. The contract also reduces the number of years it takes to get to the top of the pay scale by one year, meaning some junior drivers will immediately get a roughly 20% increase in wages.
During deliberations, Clough said the union was asking for wages equivalent to drivers in areas surrounding Brattleboro, like Swansea. This contract shrinks the pay gap between drivers in these two communities from $4.25 an hour to around $2.00, he said.
The union also secured a provision that will ensure workers are paid on time. The bus service employer will now pay a penalty if workers’ paychecks arrive late.
Additionally, the contract includes a provision that could increase Travel Kuz’s cost share for employee health insurance.
The ratification of this contract marks an end to weeks of tension between the union and their employer, which came to a head when Travel Kuz locked drivers and monitors out of their Brattleboro offices in August, prompting union members to picket as WSSU’s school year began.
Travel Kuz brought in replacement drivers to transport students during the work stoppage period, but families criticized the service. District officials called the situation "unacceptable."
Travel Kuz accused union members of unlawful picketing and endangering students. The union disputes this claim. The bus service employer eventually lifted the lockout and drivers returned to work on Sept. 2 as negotiations continued.
The union filed a complaint to the National Labor Relations Board against Travel Kuz for their conduct throughout the deliberation, but Clough said these complaints have been withdrawn.
“We're hoping to get a reset in the way things are working with the bus company,” Clough said. “Move forward with a better contract, and hopefully an improving relationship with [Travel Kuz],” he said.
