Negotiations Continue Between Teamsters, Durham

Charleston County School District and Dorchester County School District Two issued statements Monday saying they expect buses to continue running as normal Tuesday.

Monday morning, Dorchester Two Superintendent Joe Pye told Patch that if the private contractor employees do strike, it likely wouldn't be before Friday because the Teamsters 509 union is in negotiations with Durham School Services Tuesday through Thursday. 

Union bus drivers in Charleston and Dorchester counties authorized a strike as negotiations have stalled with the company, which has a transportation contract with the districts. Now, a third school district, Beaufort County, has had union bus drivers also vote to authorize a strike this week. There are only three school districts in the state with privatized transportation. All three districts are served by Durham School Services, and all three districts have seen the unionization of the private employees under Teamsters 509. 

“We had to take a strike vote to get Durham to get serious in negotiations. We’ve met over 39 times with the contractor and they hadn’t moved on the key issues of concern to the drivers and monitors,” President of Local 509 L.D. Fletcher said in a statement. 

Those key issues are safe working conditions for drivers and students, salary and benefits, according to statements by the union. 

According to Durham School Services, which released its first statement since the threat of strikes began two weeks ago, negotiations will resume Tuesday and the company "will do all we can to minimize service disruption to students and ensure our employees are covered by a new and fair agreement."

Late last week, Charleston County School District and Dorchester Two urged parents to have a plan ready for if the drivers strike, since they can without notice. Both districts have said special needs children will still have transportation if a strike is called. 

While , it could take time to mobilize the drivers and have them prepared to drive the routes. 

In the meantime, Dorchester Two is hiring bus drivers to help keep the buses rolling in the event of a strike.