Photo via Tri-Board Transportation.
Some area students may be left without school buses next week, as contract negotiations between Stock Transportation and its Bus Drivers and Monitors are taking place this week.
“As early as Monday, February 24, 2025, routes contracted to Stock Transportation may be suspended until further notice, and families would be responsible for making alternative arrangements for their students to travel to and from school,” Tri-Board Transportation said in a statement.
“Routes not operated by Stock Transportation will continue to operate as planned, subject to regular cancellations/delays (i.e., due to weather). Unfortunately, due to a myriad of factors, students cannot be temporarily assigned to other routes.”
According to Tri-Board, Stock Transportation operates 119 routes within Tri-Board’s service area, transporting approximately 6,500 students to and from school daily.
Both Limestone District School Board (LDSB) and Algonquin Lakeshore Catholic District School Board (ALCDSB) have sent letters to families with brief details about this possible disruption to service, and noted that families will only receive a notice from Tri-Board if their child takes a bus operated by Stock Transportation.
“All details on your child’s bus can be found on the Tri-Board Transportation student portal: https://triboard.ca/student-portal/,” ALCDSB stated.
Tri-Board also detailed that some routes use different buses to and from school, and urge families to check their student portal as well.
“Many students ride buses operated by different companies in the morning and afternoon, so it is important to check all assigned transportation, including transfers. For example, if a student rides on a bus operated by Stock in the morning, but rides a bus operated by another company in the afternoon, then only their morning transportation would be suspended. The suspension of services will be reflected as cancellations in BusPlanner for those who are subscribed to bus status alerts,” Tri-Board explained.
“Families should consider contingency plans if transportation services are suspended, such as carpooling or using public transit, where possible. Schools have been advised that there may be an increase in traffic congestion at and around school sites.”
Students with the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board or the Provincial School Board are not affected by this disruption.
“Tri-Board and the school boards have no influence on contract negotiations between the Bus Drivers/Monitors and their employer, Stock Transportation. We are hopeful that both parties will reach an agreement soon, and there will be no disruption to transportation services,” Tri-Board continued.
“We recognize that any withdrawal of services will affect students and their families, and we will provide updates on this situation as soon as possible. If you have questions or concerns, please contact us.“
Tri-Board said it will provide affected families with an update on this situation by 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.
Read Tri-Board’s statement about the potential disruption to transportation services at triboard.ca/stock-service-disruption25/.
In response to Kingstonist inquiries, Stock Transportation provided the following statement:
Stock Transportation has been negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement with the Teamsters Local 91 but unfortunately, they have rejected our offer, which would have made these drivers among the highest paid in the local school bus industry. We are disappointed in their decision to contemplate a strike which would disrupt transportation services next week. We remain hopeful that cooler heads will prevail and that they will uphold their commitment to our students by providing reliable, safe and warm transportation during this cold, bitter winter season.
Final negotiations will take place this Friday at the bargaining table with the possibility of a strike as early as Monday, February 24, 2025. Our team has been working behind the scenes in preparation for a strike scenario in hopes to minimize disruptions as much as possible, but a strike will inevitably cause service disruptions.
Kingstonist will continue to follow this story.