Marlboro bus workers to strike, no deal in Westboro

MARLBORO, Mass — Bus drivers in Marlboro are striking Monday after NRT Bus and the workers’ union couldn’t reach a deal Sunday night.

Both sides negotiated into the night to come to terms on a new contract.

Teamsters Local 170 Union 170 representative Jim Marks told Boston 25 News after 10 p.m. there will no strike in Westboro even though the two sides hadn’t reached an agreement. Marks says the two sides will negotiate into the night.

A strike was averted in Framingham earlier in the day after Teamsters came to an agreement with the city.

The bus workers had been negotiating with the three respective communities since last week.

School officials had expressed the desire to keep schools open in each district even in the case of a strike. NRT says their priority is transporting children to and from school and there will be a contingency plan in place for any potential strike.

Lots of traffic outside the high school from the increase in drop-offs. Police were directing traffic, and it was a mess for a couple of hours (there is also an elementary school next to the high school, so double the traffic).

Boston 25 reached out to the NRT and they put out the following statement:

“Despite many days and long hours of negotiations towards a fair and equitable agreement, on Sunday, May 7, 2023, the Teamsters have chosen to leverage the children and the Marlborough Public School District by ordering its Local 170 Union workers to go on strike beginning on Monday, May 8.

The Teamsters are seeking an additional 22% wage increase for restricted CDL drivers, 7D drivers, and monitors, even after NRT, in a show of good faith, increased Marlborough CDL wages by 30.8% only four months ago on January 1, 2023. “Let me be clear, the negotiations have been centered around part-time jobs that currently are paying $34.00 per hour in Marlborough.” an NRT spokesperson said. “This current compensation structure already places those drivers at the top of School Bus Driver compensation range across the State of Massachusetts.”

In preparation for the possibility of a strike, NRT has developed a comprehensive strike mitigation plan, working closely with the school district and in conjunction with the RMV, DOT, and the Department of Education, to mitigate the adverse impact the strike will have on students in Marlborough. "

According to the drivers, negotiations are now about getting bus monitors and minibus drivers their fair share. A big raise in January only went to “big” bus drivers (with their CDL licenses), and now they want raises for the 11 employees who didn’t get an increase.

Drivers are asking for an hourly minimum each work week since they say NRT is slashing their hours.

Boston 25 reached out to the Union about when the next negotiation meeting and they said “No idea, the company does not want to resume at this time.”

Drivers will return to the High School during dismissal time to continue to picket.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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