Union representing some Durham school bus drivers reaches tentative agreement with operator

Some school buses were late and some didn’t come at all.

A work stoppage has been avoided after school bus drivers in the Durham Region reached a tentative agreement with the operator before the Friday strike deadline.

Unifor Local 4268, which represents the school bus drivers with Durham Student Transportation Services (DSTS) , announced the deal with in a news release on Thursday.

“As a result, school bus services operated by the First Student Ajax/Brooklin branch will continue without interruption,” the release reads.

Details of the new contract have not been released as they still need to be ratified. The union has previously said that key issues on the bargaining table included work-life balance and wages.

Last month, the union had submitted a “no board report” to the Ministry of Labour, which triggered the “legal countdown” of 17 days toward a potential work stoppage.

According to DSTS, First Student Ajax and Brooklin provide service to 126 schools throughout Durham Region for approximately 11,000 students attending both the public and Catholic boards.