Howard County school bus drivers vote to strike, rejecting Zum contract

The union that represents Zum school bus drivers, trainers, and attendants in Howard County voted Thursday to authorize a strike after weeks of negotiations over wages. 

According to Teamsters Local 570, the strike authorization was a rejection of "the company's unacceptable last, best, final contract offer."

A spokesperson for Zum said negotiations are ongoing despite the vote. 

"We will continue to do our best to reach a contract and avoid a strike in the future," the company said in a statement Thursday.

Zum operates nearly 200 school buses and vans in the Howard County public school system. 

In September, union leaders said they were negotiating a contract with the company, which would be the first for the more than 300 union members.

The workers voted to join the union earlier this year. The union emphasized that workers were not satisfied with Zum's rate of pay.

"We get part-time pay for full-time hours, and I don't think that's right," Teamsters Local 570 member Tanyia Watts said. "A lot of us have to do side jobs just to be able to get by. A lot of us are homeless, a lot of us can't even feed our own families."

In a statement, a spokesperson for Howard County Public Schools (HCPSS) said:

We are aware of the vote by the Zum School Bus Services drivers who are represented by Teamsters Local Union #570 to authorize a strike. After a highly successful start to the school year, it would be extremely disappointing and frustrating for students and families to experience the disruptions that canceled routes bring and the associated impact on student attendance. We appreciate the important responsibilities and influence that all our bus drivers have on the student experience.

The school district said it is currently not aware of any planned interruption to service, but it will "communicate information and plans to families who would be impacted" if there are service stoppages.

Staff are currently evaluating and preparing contingency plans to minimize disruption as much as possible, the spokesperson said.