Press Releases
Mat-Su Valley School Bus Workers Ratify First Contract with Durham
Agreement Comes After Workers Undertake Lengthy Strike
Press Contact: Patrick FitzGerald Phone: (907) 230-8809 Email: pfitzgerald@akteamsters.com
(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) – Teamsters Local 959, which represents 195 Matanuska-Susitna Borough (Mat-Su) school bus drivers, attendants, and monitors, has reached an agreement with Durham School Services on a new contract following months of negotiations and a four-week strike. This is the first contract Local 959 workers have ratified with Durham.
“Day in and day out, Mat-Su Valley bus drivers battle Alaska’s weather to get students to and from school safely – and they deserve to be compensated fairly. The newly ratified contract should serve as the latest example of how hard Teamsters fight for their fellow members,” said Matt Taibi, Teamsters Passenger Transportation Division Director.
“From higher wages to guaranteed hours and increased safety protocols, this new contract is a huge win for Local 959 members,” said Gary Dixon, Local 959 Secretary-Treasurer. “These workers deserve to have compensation and benefits that are competitive with other districts in the state – and now, they do. We are grateful to our members and negotiators for holding the line and securing this immensely important deal for Mat-Su Valley bus workers.”
The new three-year contract includes increased wages that are retroactive to the beginning of the school year and will make Mat-Su Valley competitive with Anchorage; a $1,500 signing bonus; guaranteed minimum hours for drivers, attendants, and monitors; and a process to address safety concerns, which was badly needed.
On January 31, Mat-Su school bus workers voted to authorize an unfair labor practice strike. Student safety was a top concern for drivers and Durham neglected to address safety-related issues in their offer to Local 959. The failure to address workers’ concerns led to an overwhelming vote to authorize a strike.
“We wanted a fair contract and Local 959 helped us get one,” said Debbie Mullin, Mat-Su Valley school bus driver and Local 959 member. “We are excited to continue to support our community by getting the kids to school and back safely.”
Teamsters Local 959 represents 5,000 workers in a wide variety of industries in Alaska. For more information, go to akteamsters.com/