BRATTLEBORO-Busing issues in the Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) caused real mayhem last week on the first day of school after TravelKuz, the district's bus contractor, locked out regular drivers.
While the drivers, whose contract with the transportation vendor expired in June, returned to work on Sept. 2, it seems clear that a rift remains.
On Sept. 1, TravelKuz issued a press release saying, "We are heartened to hear that Teamsters Local 597 is ready to come back to the table. That good-faith step allows us to lift the lockout effective immediately and welcome our drivers back."
"There is nothing more meaningful than the bond between students and the drivers who know their names, their routines, and their stories," reads the press release. "That connection is at the heart of what we do, and we are grateful to see it restored."
However, it may be a long row to hoe to get things ironed out.
Teamsters' Union Local 597 President Curtis Clough was initially noncommittal when asked to comment about an hour after the press release was issued but confirmed drivers would return on Sept. 2.
"My initial inclination was to negotiate longer," he said. "We never walked away from the table; they did."
Clough said that in TravelKuz's message to the workers, "they indicated they are not willing to negotiate further."
"We reached out multiple times last week, looking to negotiate," he continued. "The company refused to set up more dates. I am happy to hear they are ready to get back to the table."
Clough said employees were receiving phone calls but he had spoken with only one, "who wants to stay out on strike."
Asked what the union would ask for and whether it would be, as some have reported, a 40% increase, Clough laughed.
"We never asked for a 40% pay increase; that was always bullshit," he said. "We're asking for the same thing we've been asking for: competitive pay, affordable insurance."
Who was driving the bus?
Amid the normal excited hubbub of returning to school on Aug. 27, the labor dispute caused huge concerns for WSESD schools and headaches for parents and students when the district's contracted bus company, F.M. Kuzmeskus, which operates under the name TravelKuz. locked out regular drivers temporarily after labor talks went south.
The company, based in Bernardston, Massachusetts, was purchased in 2023 by Beacon Mobility, whose reported annual revenue in 2025 was $5.2 billion.
But it wasn't until Tuesday, Aug. 26 at about noon that Windham Southeast Supervisory Union Superintendent Mark Speno responded to press and parental inquiries with a memo about "bus concerns."
"I want to acknowledge the stress and uncertainty that many of you may be feeling given the ongoing contract negotiations between our contracted transportation provider Beacon Mobility and our bus drivers' union," Speno wrote.
He went on to say that "negotiations remain active" between the union and bus company, although others have questioned whether that were the case.
"I want to reassure you that regardless of the outcome of these ongoing talks, we have been assured that bus service will be provided tomorrow to transport students to and from school," the Superintendent wrote. "If our regular drivers are unavailable, replacement drivers are prepared to step in to ensure that transportation runs as smoothly as possible. Our hope and expectation is that an agreement will be reached quickly between the two sides for the benefit of all involved, and especially for our students."
On the evening of Aug. 27, Speno issued a new message to parents in which he acknowledged "the disorder, struggles and lack of preparedness on behalf of our transportation providers for the first day of school."
The first day of school brought havoc and confusion amid a smattering of picketers.
Passengers and bystanders shared photos of Kuzmeskus buses headed the wrong way into school driveways, hung up on a hill mid-turnaround, and stuck on narrow country road, and
Students were on wrong buses and crazy schedules. Some drivers had a poor command of the English language, increasing the communication challenge. And parents stood, virtually wringing their hands as they waited for their precious cargo.
"We have worked diligently alongside our transportation providers to attempt to assure a strong start to the school year in terms of student busing," wrote Speno. "We share in your disappointment, and deep concern. We will be meeting again with our transportation providers, in anticipation of improved outcomes for tomorrow."
He also noted that it would be "disingenuous" to thank parents for their patience in view of the facts that buses ran late and parents weren't notified in advance.
"Instead, we will ask for your continued awareness and attentiveness to the evolving busing matters," Speno wrote.
Angry and anxious
By the afternoon of Aug. 28, Kuzmeskus issued a press release from its Chelmsford, Massachusetts, office saying the company had filed a cease and desist letter and was pursuing a legal injunction against Teamsters Local 597 "following a series of unlawful and dangerous picketing activities outside Brattleboro Union High School and Brattleboro Area Middle School on August 27, 2025."
"The union's actions, which included blocking school bus access, engaging in mass picketing, and displaying obscene and aggressive behavior toward students and drivers, have prompted swift legal response from TravelKuz," the release said.
"This behavior is not only unacceptable; it's dangerous. Regardless of the ongoing labor dispute, we will not tolerate actions that threaten the safety, dignity, and well-being of our students. Our responsibility is to ensure safe and respectful transportation, and we will take every legal measure necessary to uphold that duty."
The bus company maintains the picketing has caused "significant traffic disruptions, creating hazardous conditions for students and drivers."
In one private community Facebook group, several online commenters who had spent time with the picketers disputed the blanket assertions, with one saying that the picketers were standing precisely in a designated area chosen not to interfere with safe operations.
TravelKuz has formally demanded that Teamsters Local 597 "immediately cease all unlawful conduct and ensure that their members do not interfere with school operations or student transportation."
"We respect the right to lawful protest, but when that protest endangers children, it crosses a line. We are committed to protecting our students and maintaining a safe environment for all."
For its part, the union, in an Aug. 21 news release, said that "Travel Kuz claims they cannot afford to pay workers the wages they have earned and refuses to provide the union with a copy of their revenue contract with the school district."
In addition, the union claimed that TravelKuz "has repeatedly failed to pay workers on time, withheld 401(k) matches, held onto health care premiums for extended periods, and put workers through egregious treatment."
Local 597 has filed an unfair labor practice charge against Travel Kuz for withholding information requested by the union.
Parents trying to get a clear picture
One concerned Guilford parent reached out before school started to WSESD board members and Speno, asking for help to keep negotiations going.
The parent noted "love and trust" in "loyal" bus drivers on the children's route and the fact that some have moved on "to other jobs that pay competitive wages," resulting in one child's route seeing "about 10 different drivers last year."
This parent noted concern to start the school year "with all new, presumably untrained, drivers." Saying the drivers - responsible for children's lives - deserve to be treated fairly, the parent went on to note the unacceptability of TravelKuz having had a summer to negotiate yet now to be locking out employees "at the 11th hour."
"I have no assurance that these new drivers have been adequately trained to drive our backroads routes, or that they have completed safety training or background checks," wrote the parent. "We all know that background checks take months to get completed.
"Please do everything in your power to get our regular drivers back," the parent wrote.
In its Sept. 1 press release, Kuzmeskus officials said that from the beginning, the company has sought an agreement that's "fair for employees and affordable for the town, while keeping the focus on what matters most: children arriving at school safely and returning home with care.
"We care deeply about our drivers and want to be sure they feel valued and fairly paid for the vital work they do," the statement continued, adding that the bus company is "optimistic about the path forward."
"With good-faith conversations and a shared commitment to the community, we believe we can finalize an agreement that honors our employees, provides peace of mind for families, and strengthens Brattleboro for the future," it says.
"We also want to thank the WSESU communities for their patience and support," the company said. "Your trust means everything, and we are eager to move ahead together."
This News item by Virginia Ray was written for The Commons.