Bargaining Continues for School Bus Drivers

School buses will likely run regular routes Monday as bargaining wraps up this week and is scheduled to continue next week between Charleston County School District and Dorchester County School District bus drivers and the private contractor that employs them.

The drivers are members of Teamster 509, which has been negotiating with the company for increased salary, better benefits and safer worker conditions. Both district bus drivers and Beaufort County School District bus drivers have authorized a strike, as previous negotiations stalled. A strike will not be called unless negotiations are halted, according to union statements. 

Durham School Services released this statement Friday:

We have made very good progress in discussions with the union, but still need additional time to fine tune some details. We will resume discussions next week and have been assured by the union that service will not be interrupted as long as we are in active discussions. We appreciate the patience of our employees, our customers and the communities we serve as we work through the bargaining process.

A hiccup in negotiations earlier this week caused worry that a strike was imminent when Durham representatives allegedly walked out of a meeting — an allegation later refuted by the company. However, bargaining has continued since and will begin again Monday.