Overview
- A tentative agreement between OAPSE/AFSCME Local 184 and First Student was announced Tuesday and union drivers are scheduled to vote on the deal the following morning.
- The strike began Oct. 1 and interrupted transport for about 5,900 Princeton City Schools students, prompting lower attendance and prolonged picket lines.
- Princeton School Board approved emergency contracts with private providers and offered Metro passes to older students to keep families moving while negotiations continued.
- First Student has said its proposal included an average starting wage near $25 per hour rising to over $40 by year four, while union leaders said employer-paid health insurance and better benefits were core demands.
- If drivers ratify the agreement, service restoration will depend on implementing the contract and bringing workers back to routes; the school district cannot bargain for drivers and pays First Student only for provided service.