Bus drivers reach agreement to avert strike that could have affected multiple Will County districts
PLAINFIELD, Ill. (CBS) -- A tentative agreement has been reached to avert a school bus drivers' strike that could have affected school districts in multiple west and southwest suburban communities.
Tom Flynn, President of Teamsters local 179, told CBS 2's Charlie De Mar that a tentative agreement was reached between the drivers and the First Student bus company on Monday afternoon.
The union members will still have to vote on this agreement. The vote will happen sometime before the end of the week.
Money was at the heart of the negotiations. Flynn called the contract a "solid offer" and a "good raise" for drivers.
Bus service will continue as normal for now. If the vote passes, bus service will remain uninterrupted. But if the vote does not pass, then there is still a chance for service interruptions.
Schools that use First Student and sent out warnings to parents include:
-Plainfield School District 202
-District 86 in Joliet
-Will County School District 92
-Elwood Community Consolidated School District 203
-Chaney Monge School District 88
The notice sent out by Plainfield District 202 had said bus drivers were threatening to strike, or stage a work stoppage on Tuesday.
The district had said this would affect regular education transportation only. Special education riders would not be impacted.
Monday was a "school improvement day," so there was no school for students in the Plainfield district.