A nightmare scenario could be unfolding for parents of kids set to go back to school in just over two weeks.
In a letter to parents, the Thames Valley District School Board and London District Catholic School Board warn that negotiations between the Southwestern Ontario Student Transportation Services, which represents the boards, and the Southwestern Ontario School Bus Operators Association aren’t going well.
“We’ve had a long-term relationship with our bus operators, but unfortunately at this point, we have been unable to come up with an agreement,” said Jacquie Davison, superintendent of business and treasurer at the London District Catholic School Board.
The letter from the school boards suggests parents plan ahead for alternate transportation arrangements.
“We still want to negotiate a new deal, but unfortunately we need to let parents know that there could be a potential service disruption, and we want to give them as much time as possible to make other transportation arrangements,” said Davison.
Davison adds one component of the dispute between Southwestern Ontario Student Transportation Services and the Southwestern Ontario School Bus Operators Association comes down to funding demands.
“We believe that we’ve made an offer that will count for the minimum wage increase,” said Davison.
“Obviously, bus operators are important and require that increase in their salary. As such, we believe the offer we’ve made is sufficient,” she said.
“The needs of transportation are very diverse across the province. As you can expect, our boards cover one of the largest geographical areas, which makes comparing our boards to others incomparable,” she said.
Both sides say they are hopeful they can reach a deal before school resumes on Sept. 4.
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