School bus drivers and monitors go on strike in Marlboro, Massachusetts

School bus drivers and monitors in Marlboro, Massachusetts are now on strike.

Teamsters local 170, the union that represents the 45 workers, hit the picket line at the bus yard in Hudson Wednesday morning.

The drivers and monitors work for NRT Bus, which holds the contract for school bus services in Marlboro and at the Advance Math Science Academy on Forest Street.

The buses were running Wednesday with replacement drivers, but they were delayed by picketers blocking the exit to the bus yard.

"We are hopeful that NRT and the Teamsters will reach a speedy agreement. In the meantime, we are working to ensure minimal disruption to our students and families," a spokesperson for the district said in a statement.

Jacqui Pugliese didn't want to risk her two sons being late so she drove them to school Wednesday morning. She said the district alerted parents so they could make alternative plans.

"I completely support the bus strike, one hundred percent. I think the drivers deserve a fair pay. I love our drivers and it's just that when there are substitute drivers, they're not familiar with the routes," Pugliese told CBS News Boston. 

Bus company says union "reversed course"

A spokesperson for NRT said they have been "negotiating in good faith" with the union for more than two months to reach a deal.

"Our latest offer reflects what we can responsibly sustain, while providing fair raises and maintaining strong benefits for drivers," Scott Sheridan, NRT's senior vice president of operations, said in a statement.

"Despite reaching a tentative agreement this weekend, the union reversed course and decided to go on strike. We are deeply disappointed in their decision, which unfairly creates uncertainty for our students, families and the school district." 

Sheridan said NRT "has a contingency plan in place to avoid delays and ensure transportation remains uninterrupted for students."

Union says offer "falls far short"

"Currently NRT bus has given the Teamsters a last and final that falls far short of what is needed to ensure these employees have access to affordable healthcare," the union said in a statement Wednesday.

The drivers and monitors also want better retirement benefits and more hours. Some have concerns about school bus safety.

"I could find defects on every one of these buses going by. We fill out a daily form explaining what's wrong and what's right and they don't repair the stuff," said striking bus monitor David Friess. "There was no give and take. So we're doing, as a last resort, what we have to do."

School bus drivers in Marlboro went on a three-day strike strike in May 2023.

Marlboro, Massachusetts is about 30 miles west of Boston.