Teamsters Local 512, Durham School Services Reach Agreement Averting Jacksonville Bus Driver Strike

Teamsters Local 512 and Durham School Services reached an agreement late Friday night, averting a potential strike by 275 school bus drivers in Jacksonville, Florida, days before the first day of the school year.

The deal was reached on August 7. Duval County Public Schools classes began Monday, August 10.

The Strike Authorization

Drivers had voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike on August 4 after Durham School Services proposed what the union described as sweeping concessions that would cut wages, benefits, and workplace protections.

"Our members have spoken with one voice," Local 512 President Rebecca Cardona said at the time of the vote. "This vote sends a clear message that our members will not stand by while the company attempts to strip away the wages, benefits, and workplace protections that generations of workers fought to achieve."

Durham School Services called the strike vote "surprising and a bit perplexing," saying good-faith negotiations had been ongoing since late June, with progress being made.

Countdown to the School Year

Duval County Public Schools notified parents on August 7 that the district was developing short-term contingency transportation plans in the event of a work stoppage. The district's first day of school was Monday, August 10.

Agreement Reached

The parties reached the agreement late Friday night, August 7. Terms of the agreement have not been publicly disclosed.

The dispute is one of several labor standoffs 411 Press has tracked, including UAW Local 699's strike authorization at Nexteer, which reached a tentative agreement three days later, a five-day nurses' stoppage at Brigham and Women's, and SoFi Stadium workers' new contract.