What you need to know:
- Mat-Su school bus drivers and workers plan to walk off the job as soon as March 2 after rejecting a final contract offer from Durham School Services during a meeting Monday.
- Teamsters Local 959, which represents the workers, gave Durham a 10-day strike notice on Wednesday. The notice means workers may strike March 2 or any time after, union officials said. Officials said they plan to warn parents and students before a walkout so they can make other transportation plans.
- No further negotiations are currently scheduled. Durham officials want to resume talks in late March with the help of a federal mediator. Union officials said they do not want to wait that long. Contract disagreements include wages, training and safety rules, and a Durham requirement that workers pay for additional health screenings, union officials said.
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PALMER – Mat-Su school bus drivers and workers plan to walk off the job as soon as March 2 as contract negotiations between their union and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough’s bus contractor remain stalled.
Teamsters Local 959 issued a 10-day strike notice to Durham School Services on Wednesday after members voted to reject the company’s final offer during a meeting Monday, union spokesperson Patrick FitzGerald said in an interview. The previous contract expired Feb. 4.
The Teamsters’ contract with Durham requires a 10-day notice. A strike can start any time after that 10-day window, FitzGerald said. Parents and Mat-Su school officials will be warned of a pending walkout so they can make alternate plans, he said…