Seattle School Bus Drivers Authorize Strike Over Retirement Benefit Dispute
Seattle Today Newsroom
September 24, 2026
Photo Credit: Megan Lee
Contract negotiations between Teamsters Local 174 and ZūmTransportation have hit a critical wall, prompting hundreds of Seattle school bus drivers to officially vote in favor of a strike authorization, though a walkout date has not yet been selected by union leadership.
The dispute boils down to a single sticking point regarding retirement benefits following the passage of House Bill 1248. This state law mandates that contracted school bus drivers receive the exact same benefit levels as direct school district employees, with the state covering the additional costs.
Union representatives argue that because state funds fully absorb this increase, Zūm has no financial basis for resistance, accusing the contractor of unfair bargaining and endangering the financial security of roughly 300 drivers by blocking contributions to the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Plan.
Management at Zūm maintains that their current proposal satisfies all state-mandated financial obligations. However, the company is firmly advocating for placing those funds directly into individual employee retirement accounts, arguing this exact structure provides workers with far greater personal autonomy, flexibility, and direct ownership over their long-term savings.
Relations between the transportation firm and its workforce have been strained before, particularly when drivers backed a similar strike authorization in 2023. That action occurred shortly after Zūm obtained a three-year, $68 million agreement with Seattle Public Schools for roughly 280 routes, a contract secured following an appeal that led the district to split transportation services previously held exclusively by First Student.
This latest labor conflict comes shortly after the Seattle Education Association averted a citywide teacher walkout by securing a last-minute contract on September 1, right before classes began. Should these bus drivers ultimately strike, it would mark the area’s first major school transportation disruption since First Student drivers walked off the job back in 2018.
