Bus drivers give strike notice in Seine River
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This article was published 25/04/2024 (435 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Parents may have to find their kids alternative rides for the last two months of the school year if negotiations do not succeed between Seine River School Division (SRSD) and its 85 unionized bus drivers and monitors.
Their union was given a strike mandate at a meeting on April 11 in Ste Anne.
The 70 drivers and 15 monitors joined the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 832 July 5 of last year. The union has been working to get a new contract since then, according to UFCW president Jeff Traeger.
“The reason why we took a strike vote is because we are not particularly close,” said Traeger.
“The result was overwhelmingly in favour of a strike.”
There are negotiation meetings between the union and school division scheduled for this week. Traeger said they will have a better idea of whether there will be a strike or done deal by May 8.
“At this time, the bargaining process is ongoing and we continue to make progress towards a finalized agreement. Things remain positive and we feel we will successfully complete the process with them in the near future,” responded SRSD superintendent Ryan Anderson to an question on whether SRSD had a backup plan in place if drivers went on strike.
The bus drivers and monitors were in a worker association before joining the union to help with negotiations that had stalled, according to Traeger. Their last deal expired June 30, 2022.
“The bargaining has been going relatively well. Things have been going slowly through the monetary conditions. It’s not just wages,” said Traeger.
Almost all non-monetary issues are resolved according to Traeger and SRSD trustee Gary Nelson, who gave an update at the April 23 school board meeting in Lorette.
The drivers and monitors are looking for a cost of living increase after recent inflation. They currently make on average $18.45 per hour, most on split shifts. Some drivers also make mileage, depending on distances.
Other issues like being paid for driving the bus back to the depot or every other time they are driving or waiting on the bus were part of the negotiations.
The SRSD budget for next school year that would shed light on the effect of any transportation cost increase has still not been made available to the public. It was passed by the board of trustees March 20.
No specific reason why the budget is not publicly available has been given after Anderson and board Chair Wendy Bloomfield were asked, other than Anderson saying on March 20 that it would be released after it was approved by the province. Anderson on Wednesday wrote via email that, “we are in the process of finalizing a graphic that will be put on our website.” He expected that to be available by the end of the week.
No other school division in the Southeast has withheld its budget, with most making their draft versions available before they are passed.
After reaching deals with teachers, EAs and custodians, Nelson said SRSD has one more unionized group that still needs a new contract: board office staff.