New Britain Transportation Co. and the Teamsters Local 671, the union that represents Meriden bus drivers, have just two days to get a deal done before Meriden bus drivers go on strike.
The buses will be operating when school starts in Meriden on Wednesday, but if a deal isn’t done by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, the union says its members will strike.
“Many students don’t have the transportation to get to school and for that, that hinders their education, but at the same time the bus drivers deserve fair pay,” said Danna Hinojosa, whose younger cousins attend Meriden schools.
New Britain Transportation Co. submitted its latest contract proposal to the bus drivers' union, Teamsters Local 671 on Tuesday, saying “we have worked hard to address the union's request and to mirror other Teamsters union contracts.”
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After reviewing the latest proposal, the union called it "insulting."
“It still falls way below the standard that NBT knew they needed to reach, and we have countered their proposal. “We let them know exactly what it would take to get a contract done, and again, they failed to provide any proposal that reaches any of the standards,” Teamsters Local 671 representative Nick Frangiamore said.
Among the drivers’ requests are standard wages compared to other bus drivers in the area, paid holidays, health care assistance and 401(k) assistance.
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“They took out any language stating that they would participate at all in a 401(k) match, any of it. So it’s regressive to what was already the worst contract in the state,” Frangiamore said.
In a statement, New Britain Transportation Co. said “We did not refuse a 401(k) and healthcare plan. We refused to switch over to the teamster 401(k) and healthcare plan as they currently have one in place.”
The union said it still believes the offer came up short of industry standards.
“The drivers want to do their duty. They’re very proud of what they do. They love picking these kids up, getting them to school safely. They know how valuable it is to provide that service to the town and the city of Meriden, but they can’t do so without a contract in place,” Frangiamore said.
The union said it has submitted a counter proposal, now with just two days left before students are the ones left stranded.
“The drivers are prepared to stay out as long as it takes to get a contract that reaches the standards and if they don’t get a proposal from the company, they’ll be on the picket lines for as long as it takes,” Frangiamore said.
A spokesperson for Meriden Public Schools said it is working on a contingency plan if a deal can’t get done.
