Will Dorchester Two School Bus Drivers Strike?

Charleston school bus drivers who work for Durham School Services have voted unanimously to authorize a strike if negotiations will not move forward, according to a statement by Teamsters Local 509.

There is no timeframe for the strike and the strike would include Charleston County School District. Union workers also drive buses for Dorchester County School District Two and Beaufort County School District but those districts will hold a separate and later vote to authorize a strike, according to spokeswoman Kara Deniz. No date is set on those votes.

Those districts have privatized bus operators. .

The workers were unanimous in their decision to authorize the strike after Teamsters Local 509 and Durham reached a standstill. The Teamsters said the vote resulted "because of the company’s unwillingness to negotiate in good faith over decent working conditions."

“We’ve had 34 negotiation sessions in three different locations — Charleston, Summerville and Beaufort — and because of the company, we are no further along now than when we started. This contractor needs to sit down and negotiate a contract in good faith that is fair to these workers and the children they transport,” said L.D. Fletcher, President of Teamsters Local 509 in Columbia.    

Workers also cited concerns over the potential loss of their health insurance. 

There are about 620 Teamsters Local 509 members at Durham School Services in Charleston, Beaufort and Summerville’s Dorchester School District Two. Charleston is the first location to hold a strike authorization vote against Durham.