First Student and Bus Drivers in Contract Negotiations

Dear SPS families and staff,

One of Seattle Public Schools (SPS) contracted school bus providers, First Student, is currently in contract negotiations with Teamsters 174, their bus drivers’ union.

The Teamsters have scheduled a meeting for Saturday to vote on a possible strike authorization. This gives the union permission to take action if they cannot reach an agreement, but it does not guarantee a strike will occur.

In the event of a strike, the district will notify all affected families immediately.

Although the Teamsters’ contract is set to expire on Monday, March 31, both parties have agreed to continue negotiations.

“At First Student, we are committed to negotiating in good faith with the union to reach a fair and mutually beneficial agreement as soon as possible. Their vote is simply a step in an ongoing process, and we remain focused on working collaboratively to ensure our drivers receive the support they need,” said Kim Worster, Senior Vice President of First Student. “Our top priority remains providing safe and reliable transportation for the students and families of Seattle Public Schools, and we are confident we can reach an agreement that reflects the hard work and dedication of our drivers while avoiding any interruptions in service.”

First Student provides approximately half of the district’s school bus service, with about 3,750 riders daily. SPS is not anticipating an impact on students who are served by the district’s other contracted transportation providers such as Zum, Hop, Skip, Ride, and others.

District leaders understand how this may cause some concern for your family, and we are sharing this information now to keep you informed. SPS is hopeful the situation will be resolved quickly. Both parties know how important it is to avoid disruption for students and families.

We will continue to keep you updated as we learn more.

Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,

Bev Redmond
Chief of Staff
Seattle Public Schools