A school bus driver strike was narrowly averted in the Framingham School District as negotiators agreed on a new contract Sunday evening, but no such consensus was reached in Marlboro and Westboro as of 8 p.m., leaving the scheduled strike Monday morning impending.
“We were prepared for the worst but hoping for the best, and it turns out the best has come to fruition,” Framingham Superintendent Robert Tremblay said at a 6 p.m. city press event Sunday.
The transportation company for the three school districts, NRT Bus, and representatives from the Teamsters Local 170 union representing the drivers remained in the trenches of contract negotiations Sunday in the wake of the union’s strike vote last week.
The sides have been in negotiations since January 2023, according to an NRT statement.
Framingham public officials were covering preparations to transport thousands of students to school Monday morning when they received the news that the negotiators reached a deal for a new contract. The officials could not provide details of the new contract Sunday night — including the length of the contract or any provisions within — but said the news was a relief.
“The biggest thing was the strike, and now that that’s over, we’re happy,” said Mayor Charlie Sisitsky.
Wage increases have been an issue throughout the negotiations. In a statement Friday, NRT argued the districts’ drivers already have “pay rates that place them in the top 10% of driver wages across the State of Massachusetts.” Framingham drivers made $29 an hour, Marlboro $34.00 an hour and Westboro $31.93 an hour, according to the company.
Both Westborough and Marlborough have indicated an intention to keep schools open if the drivers go on strike.
Marlboro Public Schools has posted contingency plans on the district website. The district will have police and school staff out to assist students within walking distance from their school, a limited number of bus routes and transportation for all special education students, the district detailed.
During the strike, the district said, students who cannot make it to school will not be penalized for their absence.