DeKalb School District 428 is monitoring the contract negotiations between First Student, the bus company the district uses for multiple routes and its drivers.

Russ Fletcher, DeKalb school and community relations liaison, said the district is also trying to help in bringing both sides together.

“District 428 will continue to seek opportunities to work cooperatively with both sides to assist in formulating a solution,” Fletcher said. “In the event of service interruption, the district will work with First Student and other service providers to cover as many of the routes as possible.”

Fletcher said the current contract the district has with First Student expires at the end of the 2011-2012 school year.

Maureen Richmond, spokeswoman for First Student, said the company feels the offer it put out to the union is fair.

“We are offering a 20 percent increase in wages over four years,” Richmond said. “We feel this offer is very competitive especially in the current economic climate.”

Richmond said the union is asking for 47 percent over the next four years with more than half of the increase in the first year.

First Student driver Ellen Zenzen said the union is asking for drivers to start at $12 an hour, which is up from the $10.60 she makes.

“This has been a horrible ordeal,” Zenzen said.

She said the union is asking for the same rate that other First Student drivers in other cities are getting.

“I’m making $10.60 an hour going into my fourth year,” she said. “I want what is fair to me.”

Richmond said the company implemented the 20 percent increase Friday to all of its drivers.
Richmond said as of now there is no indication a work stoppage will happen.

“We are currently working with the district on a variety of contingency plans,” Richmond said. “We are asking parents to make sure they seek alternate transportation for their students in the event of a strike.”

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