BRATTLEBORO-Bus drivers and monitors for Windham Southeast Supervisory Union schools are picketing in Brattleboro as tense negotiations continue with their private employer.
The student transportation workers, represented by the Vermont Teamsters Local 597 union, have been locked out of their place of employment since Wednesday by Travel Kuz, which has offices in Brattleboro and in Gill, Massachusetts. According to its website, the company became affiliated in 2023 with Beacon Mobility, a firm with school bus companies nationwide.
"The employer is not letting anybody go to work until they agree to their terms and conditions, so they've locked us out to try to put pressure on the group," Vermont Teamsters President Curtis Clough said in an interview.
The school year begins for students in Windham Southeast Supervisory Union, like many others across the state, on Aug. 27. In addition to Brattleboro schools, the supervisory union also includes schools in Dummerston, Guilford, Halifax, Putney, and Vernon.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters claimed in a press release that if the bar on bus drivers and monitors working continues into next week, its members are concerned it could mean that students enrolled in Windham Southeast schools will not have bus transportation.
An email from Travel Kuz said the temporary lockout at the Brattleboro office was implemented early last week after no agreement was reached with the union, but that the lockout will not affect student transportation routes.
The statement said that the union's request would result in over a 40% increase in costs to the company, "an unrealistic burden under fixed school district contracts," and that the company is prepared to meet with the union to find a "fair, balanced resolution."
In addition to claims it cannot pay workers what they're asking for, Travel Kuz has held back retirement matches and health care premiums and frequently failed to pay workers on time, Clough said.
Teamsters Local 597 asked to open bargaining in February and the union's contract expired in June, Clough said. Between May and July, there was a period of several weeks when negotiations were at a standstill because the company refused to meet with the union. It has been difficult scheduling a time to meet with companies to continue negotiations after their last bargaining session Aug. 7, he added.
Teamsters Local 597 filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board due to Travel Kuz withholding a revenue contract document that the union requested and the lockout notice. This along with refusing to negotiate for weeks displays the "bad faith bargaining" of the employer, Clough said.
On the picket line
As buses with substitute drivers did practice runs on Putney Road, a small group of bus drivers and monitors picketed in front of the F.M. Kuzmeskus bus garage on the morning of Aug. 25.
On Aug. 22, they picketed in front of Academy School and Brattleboro Union High School.
Catherine Cleveland, a union member, said she was looking forward to her first day of school as a bus driver after receiving her certification in June. She worked as a bus monitor with the company before that, and said that she was injured on the job a year ago and is "still fighting [workers compensation] claims."
Beyond higher wages, Cleveland said she would like the company to demonstrate more appreciation for the work and responsibilities of bus drivers and monitors safely transporting students.
Cleveland said the children will be negatively impacted if the lockout continues even if the company sends out-of-state drivers and monitors to serve the Windham Southeast schools.
"They don't know the children. They don't know the schools," Cleveland said. "A lot of them probably don't know a lot of the areas, so even just being out driving a route is going to be a challenge."
Regina Meckle, who has been a special needs monitor, shared Cleveland's concerns. "I'm worried about a lot of our kids," Meckle said. "They expect to see our faces every day."
"We love our kids," said Gretchen Harvey, who has been a Windham Southeast bus driver for 21 years.
Harvey said she has heard from parents in the district, and that they are supportive of the drivers. "Hopefully, this will end soon," she said.
"All we can do is stay positive and hope that things will work out for us," said Meckle.
As of press time, Windham Southeast Supervisory Union Superintendent Mark Speno, WSESD Chair Deborah Stanford or Co-Chair Kim Price did not respond to The Commons for comment for an update to this story, originally published on VTDigger on Aug. 23.
Additional reporting by Commons news editor Randolph T. Holhut. This story was republished with permission from VTDigger, which offers its reporting at no cost to local news organizations through its Community News Sharing Project. To support this work, please visit vtdigger.org/donate.
This News item by Greta Solasa originally appeared in VTDigger and was republished in The Commons with permission.