Overview
- Drivers employed by First Student for Princeton City Schools walked off the job on Oct. 1, disrupting service for roughly 5,900 students and forcing many families to find their own transport.
- Contract negotiations resumed Tuesday but collapsed when union leaders walked out and said they will not return until First Student makes a materially better offer.
- First Student says its latest proposal would raise the average starting wage to about $25 per hour and exceed $40 by year four, a roughly 27% average increase, while the union disputes the math and says the offer does not meet its pay and benefits demands.
- Princeton City Schools, which is not a party to the talks, has secured only limited alternate routes, approved a temporary MOU to prioritize students with disabilities, and reported a sharp rise in absences during the work stoppage.
- The ongoing impasse is straining families who must miss work or keep children home and is renewing debate over outsourcing school transportation and whether mediation or a change in providers will be needed next.