Warwick and Jamestown bus drivers’ union nears finish line on new contract

Buses owned by First Student are seen in a lot on East Main Road in Portsmouth. (Ken Castro/Rhode Island Current)

Unionized school bus drivers in Warwick and Jamestown have reached a tentative contract agreement that goes up for a vote Thursday evening.

ATU (Amalgamated Transit Union) Local 618 represents over 1,300 employees working in Rhode Island’s transportation sector. About 100 of those drivers are included in the contract with First Student, the Cincinnati-based bus company which services school districts across the state.

The tentative agreement — which offers higher wages and enhanced health care and retirement options — could be ratified by ATU 618 membership on Thursday. The contract came after “two days of intense bargaining,” according to a news release from ATU, but the union and First Student have been in talks since April. Negotiations slowed to a standstill this summer, leading the bus drivers’ union to vote Aug. 6 in favor of authorizing a possible strike.

“After months of negotiations, this contract recognizes our members for the heroes they truly are,” Walter Melillo, the Local 618 president and business agent, said in a statement.

“We are pleased to have reached a tentative agreement that recognizes the hard work and dedication of our employees,” said Frank McMahon, a spokesperson for First Student, in a statement Wednesday. “We look forward to a successful ratification vote on Thursday. We want to extend our sincere gratitude to all of our school bus drivers and monitors for their continued commitment to serve families in Warwick and Jamestown during this time.”

First Student is one of three school bus service providers contracted by the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), and one of the largest providers nationwide. The other two companies contracted by RIDE are Amaral Bus Co. and DATTCO. Together, they service about 300 routes across the state for both public and non-public school students.  

First Student recently took over 31 routes assigned to DATTCO when the Connecticut-based company failed to cover its assigned routes in the first two weeks of school. DATTCO workers are not unionized.

Job postings on First Student’s website for drivers in Warwick boast wages starting at a little over $24 an hour. Drivers working routes for Jamestown schools might make between $23 and $26 for their starting wage.