JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – One of the two vendors that run school bus routes for Duval County Public Schools could be short hundreds of drivers this school year if the vendor and the drivers’ union can’t come to a contract agreement.
A news release from Teamsters Local 512 said a group of 275 Durham School Services school bus workers represented by the union in Jacksonville have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if the company doesn’t “negotiate a fair collective bargaining agreement.”
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The release did not indicate the deadline for contract negotiations, but students in Duval County return to class on Monday, Aug. 10.
“Our members have spoken with one voice,” said Rebecca Cardona, President of Local 512. “This vote sends a clear message that our members will not stand by while the company attempts to strip away the wages, benefits, and workplace protections that generations of workers fought to achieve. Our members deserve respect, and they deserve a contract that recognizes the vital work they perform each and every day.”
The union said it has been negotiating with Durham for weeks, but claims that the company “has proposed sweeping concessions that would undermine the rights, protections, and standards established through decades of collective bargaining.”
News4JAX has reached out to Durham School Services for its response to the vote authorizing a potential strike.
“This company has had every chance to do the right thing and recognize our hard work,” said Katina Stewart, a 19-year bus driver and member of Local 512. “We love our jobs and take pride in safely getting Jacksonville’s students where they need to go every day. We do work this community depends on, and our contract should reflect that.”
Local 512 said it is preparing to take Durham to court over “unfair labor practices” under the National Labor Relations Act.