ZUM Bus Transportation Workers Vote to Strike Against Seattle Schools

 ZUM workers voted to authorize a strike against Seattle Public Schools. From PR Newswire:

Nearly 150 Zūm drivers and technicians represented by Teamsters Local 174 that provide school bus service for the Seattle School District (SSD) now sit at the precipice of a work stoppage after workers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike.

"As these negotiations have dragged on, it has become clear that Zūm made an unrealistically low bid to the Seattle School District to take this work, and they want to pass responsibility for that decision onto their workers rather than themselves," said Rick Hicks, Teamsters Western Region International Vice President and Local 174 Secretary-Treasurer. "These hardworking bus drivers refuse to accept less than they deserve just to help protect Zūm's bottom line, especially when Zūm executives were the ones who made the poor business decision to underbid this contract. They can either live with that decision, or they can face a strike by their workforce."

From My Northwest:

Teamsters Local 174 said in a statement that their Zum drivers want the same pay and benefits as the First Student drivers receive – but after nearly a year of negotiating with the company, they have yet to reach an agreement.

“We at Zum care deeply about our bus drivers,” the statement said. “We are currently in ongoing negotiations with Teamsters Local 174. We hope to reach a fair and equitable deal for both parties.”

The two sides have a series of meetings set for the next few weeks.

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