Tentative Contract Agreement Reached for Danville School Bus Attendants

A tentative agreement has been reached between Champaign's Teamsters union and representatives of the First Student bus company.

The two sides met for about eight hours Friday discussing details of a new three-year contract for 70 bus drivers and 22 bus monitors in the Danville School District. Those employees have been working without a contract since August 1st, and have never publicly announced plans to strike.

"We're very pleased to have a tentative agreement," said Maureen Richmond, a spokeswoman for the First Student bus company. "We very much value all of our employees - our drivers, monitors, mechanics, across the board - and take pride in the excellent work every day."

Richmond refrained from releasing details about the proposed contract, saying the union must first ratify the agreement. She said she expects union members to vote on the contract sometime within the next week.

Since July, the union had been demanding higher wages and benefits. Officials from Teamsters Local 26 did not return a call for comment.

(Photo courtesy of First Student)