First Student says contract agreement reached with Providence school bus drivers
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — The Providence Public School District's bus company reached a new agreement Tuesday night with its unionized bus drivers, averting a possible strike.
The union said the deal will make Providence bus drivers the highest paid in the region.
The agreement brings a huge sigh of relief to students, parents, drivers and the school district.
Members of Teamsters Local 251 voted Tuesday night to reject what First Student initially described as its final offer.
A spokesperson for the union said changes were made and members voted to accept a pre-ratified agreement, which the bus company OK'd.
In the agreement, the top rate for drivers goes up to $37 an hour by 2026. The union says it makes Providence drivers the highest paid in Southern New England by the end of the contract.
The settlement includes a four-year contract and guarantees drivers at least 180 work days a year.
The 401(k) plan will double over the life of the agreement, but First Student did not agree to contribute to the Teamsters’ pension fund.
The spokesperson for the union said it wasn't a deal breaker.
"Ultimately, when it comes to parents and the community and the hardship, you know, we're glad that we were able to reach an agreement and not have to strike,” said Matthew Taibi of Teamsters Local 251.
First Student released a statement saying, “We believe that the new agreement is fair for both our company and our drivers.”
Members of the union left the building where they met in East Providence chanting and with big smiles. Many of them said how happy they were not to have to strike and miss out on the kids.
A strike would have potentially left 8,500 students in the state's largest district without a ride to school.
Providence school bus drivers walked off the job for 11 days in 2018.