Paid sick leave an issue in Seattle school bus driver contract

Seattle public school bus drivers say they’re preparing to strike, mainly over health care benefits. But paid sick leave is also an issue at the bargaining table, even though the city has a paid sick leave law.

It was about a year-and-a-half ago that the city implemented its new Paid Sick/Safe Time ordinance, requiring all employers, with at least four full time employees, to provide a minimum level of paid sick time.

While answering questions about the bus company’s contract offer, a Teamsters Local 174 spokesman said that the company, First Student, wants the union bus drivers to waive their rights under the paid sick time ordinance. The union thinks that’s illegal. No comment from the bus company.

But Elliott Bronstein, with the city’s Office of Civil Rights said the ordinance includes a waiver for union workers.

“If employees are covered by an actual bargaining agreement, then the union and management can negotiate a waiver of this ordinance as part of their overall bargaining agreement,” he said.

The ordinance states that: “The terms that expressly waive Ordinance requirements shall be clear and unambiguous with explicit reference to the Ordianance.”

Bronstein said the paid time off waiver has been a popular topic in phone calls to his office.

“We’ve had many conversations over the last year-and-a-half with both employers who have collective bargaining agreements in place and with union representatives; people just want to know how the law works so they can enter into negotiations in an informed way,” said Bronstein.

Another bargaining session is scheduled for next week and until then, any school bus driver strike in Seattle is on hold.