Long Island School Bus Drivers Agree To Collective Bargaining Deal, Avoid Strike

RONKONKOMA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A school bus drivers strike has been averted on Long Island.

Teamsters Local 1205, the union representing about 1,200 drivers, and Baumann & Sons Buses announced Monday night they had reach a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement, which will expire June 30, 2018.

The statement did not list specific terms, saying only the deal would "address several of the issues that were identified over the last few days." Drivers had expressed concerns over salary and safety.

The union voted Saturday to authorize a strike, which would have impacted about 15,000 students in 35 Long Island districts.

The agreement must still be ratified by union members. A vote is planned for this later this week.

"The parties worked together to find solutions, to address the difficulties of this business, and to resolve differences," union President Timothy Lynch said in the news release. "I am pleased with the end result of all our hard work, as it provides many improvements to the membership's terms and conditions of employment, while at the same time attempting to address the legitimate needs of the business. With the final changes that were agreed upon today, I can confidently recommend ratification of this tentative agreement."

"The agreement will allow us to focus our efforts on customer service," said Baumann & Sons President Ron Baumann. "It is time to move forward so that Baumann & Sons Buses, Inc./Acme Bus Corp. can continue to provide safe and secure service to our customers and the students we provide transportation for. We are thankful for the patience of our employees, the public and our customers for seeing this process to a fair resolution."