School bus drivers serving multiple Rhode Island districts called off a potential strike Friday, reversing course just three days after warning that walkouts were imminent, according to The Providence Journal.
The labor dispute between Teamsters Local 251 and transportation operator First Student followed months of unsuccessful contract negotiations over undisclosed issues. The union had warned on Tuesday that drivers were prepared to strike but noted, as did First Student, that negotiations had been ongoing for a few months.
The threat prompted a variety of contingency plans across affected school systems, with some preparing to reinstate remote learning protocols first adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent Kevin McNamara confirmed that his district would pivot to virtual instruction if a walkout occurred, as first reported by Juliette Amaya in Lincoln High School’s student newspaper.