MERIDEN, Conn. (WTNH) — The school bus driver strike in Meriden is over, and all public school buses will resume normal operations on Wednesday, according to the superintendent of Meriden Public Schools.
The school bus drivers, presented by the Local 671 Teamsters Union, went on strike early Friday morning after their contract with New Britain Transportation (NBT) expired.
“While Meriden Public Schools was not a party in the dispute, we worked closely with New Britain Transportation and Teamsters Local 671 to help resolve the strike quickly,” Superintendent Mark Benigni wrote Tuesday in a statement to the school community.
Last week, Kevin Scarpati, the mayor of Meriden, spoke on behalf of the city, urging both sides to come together and find short- and long-term solutions.
The Local 671 Teamsters Union called it the worst contract in the state, saying the drivers receive low wages, zero paid holidays and health care assistance, and no company contribution to the 401k.
“NBT cannot believe the Teamsters total disregard of the children of Meriden for their own financial gain,” a spokesperson for NBT told News 8 Friday. “They have terrorized their very own members who came to work to get as many children to school, and that is disgraceful. The union has disrupted negotiations with threats.”
News 8 contacted NBT Tuesday afternoon for comment on the new deal.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
