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School bus driver strike averted in Grey-Bruce

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A potential school bus driver’s strike has been averted in Grey-Bruce.

“I’m very pleased to say that our bargaining committee, late Thursday evening, were able to reach a tentative agreement with the company,” says Unifor Local 4268 President, Debbie Montgomery.

Just a few days after 145 First Student school bus drivers in Owen Sound, Port Elgin, and Kincardine, Ont. voted for a strike if a deal could not be agreed upon, a deal was reached.

A ratification vote is expected before the end of the month. However, Montgomery says parents are not out of the woods yet. This potential new deal does not solve a chronic school bus driver shortage.

“Keeping people in the seat is often difficult. It’s a very demanding job with a lot of responsibility that a lot of people aren’t even aware of,” she says.

While the situation is better than last year, there are still daily school bus route cancellations in Grey-Bruce, along with Huron-Perth. It is a wider problem that is also plaguing Ontario and the country.

“In order to really get back to normal operations, we need about 70 drivers to give us that good coverage, plus spare drivers,” says President of the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority, Vicky Kyriaco.

Montgomery says school bus drivers are seeking respect, both monetarily and through improved working conditions.

“There’s still some unpaid time in the industry, it’s still often being treated like a volunteer position. So, there’s thing we have to correct, and I would put that squarely in the laps of the government,” she adds.

That is ultimately the long-term goal. In the short term however, unionized First Student drivers in Grey-Bruce appear to be on their way to avoiding a strike, keeping who's available on the road. 

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