Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell today issued the following statement in the wake of a vote by bus UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO bus drivers and aides to authorize a strike after negotiations with Student Transportation of America (STA) broke down:
“Whatever the issues that exist between these drivers and aides and their employer, one thing is for certain: Our students and families are on the brink of paying a heavy price for a disagreement that is not of their or our school district’s making. A strike, should there be one, will leave dozens of routes uncovered and students with no way to get to and from school.
I have spoken with officials from STA and emphasized to them that even though no strike date has been set, our students simply should not and cannot be pawns in a negotiating game. The changes we have made in our Transportation Division have allowed us to start the last two school years with zero bus driver vacancies and helped to increase academic achievement across our school district. It is imperative that these two sides find common ground quickly to avoid any regression in either of those areas.”
Related information:
Combined, contractors Annapolis Bus Company and R.E. Wilson, whose workers voted to authorize a strike today, operate 84 bus routes and transport approximately 7,251 students daily.
Annapolis Bus Company and R.E. Wilson operate routes at the elementary, middle, and high school levels and primarily transport students in the Annapolis, Arundel, Broadneck, Crofton and South River areas.
The companies also operate eleven routes that transport students to nonpublic settings in Baltimore County and Baltimore City.:
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