Mat-Su school bus service resumes as drivers end their monthlong str…

Most school bus service in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District resumed Monday, a day after drivers ratified a new contract and ended a monthlong strike.

According to the district’s website, all special education routes are running, with some regular Palmer and Butte-area routes not operating Monday under a rolling-cancellation schedule.

Bus drivers with the union Teamsters Local 959 went on strike Jan. 31 after rejecting a contract offer from district contractor Durham School Services. They protested over what they told the school board were unsafe conditions at the company. The strike, which started midday, forced frustrated Mat-Su parents to pick up their students that afternoon and throughout February in a district about the size of West Virginia.

After several meetings between Durham and union officials, negotiations last week led to a tentative agreement. Teamsters officials said that the three-year deal, approved by drivers Sunday, includes “strong job protections and overall economic improvements, and tools to address safety issues at the workplace.”

A brief statement Monday from Durham’s parent company, Illinois-based National Express, confirmed the strike’s end.

“We are looking forward to continuing to transport our students to and from school safely each day,” company officials wrote.

On Friday, district superintendent Dr. Randy Trani thanked parents and students for their patience during the strike.