Company’s refusal to bargain in good faith has group of 300 drivers on brink of a walkout

Drivers at Zūm Services are critical to the functioning of the Seattle School District – there is no doubt about that fact. But in spite of their importance in safely delivering children to school across the Seattle School District, management at Zūm Services is refusing to treat workers fairly during bargaining. If this situation cannot be resolved speedily, there will be a strike which will cripple operations in the District as hundreds of children lose their means of getting from their homes to their schools.

The problems with Company management began when House Bill 1248 required them to negotiate higher benefit and retirement rates for workers. These increased costs would be borne by the state through the funding for the bill, meaning there was little incentive on the part of the company to pick a fight with the Union. And yet, they did anyway, refusing to allocate funds for workers’ retirement as the law requires. Their continued refusal to bargain in good faith now has the group of 300 drivers on the brink of a major strike action.

These Zūm drivers show up to work every day and do the important work of making sure our children get to school on time and ready to learn. There is no reason why these workers should be denied a fair retirement – especially when that retirement comes at no additional cost to the employer!

We are asking that members of the public, especially parents of children in the Seattle School District who would be impacted by a strike, pick up the phone and call the District, and call Zūm Services directly, and demand that they settle this dispute immediately so there is no disruption in service for the children whose only job is to go to school, learn, and come back home safely. No one wants this strike less than the Zūm drivers who know how deep their obligation to the children goes. However, management is giving us little choice in the matter as they continue to stonewall on the subject of a fair retirement.

We appreciate any and all support the public is willing to provide as these workers fight to be treated fairly against a greedy employer.