Concord board approves three-year contract with UAW for transportation staff

The Concord School District Board of Education on June 25 approved a three-year contract with the United Auto Workers (UAW) representing the district’s transportation employees, covering July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028. The agreement includes annual base wage increases and changes to stipends and work rules.

The contract sets a baseline wage increase of 3 percent per year for three years, with an incentive provision tying a larger third-year increase to reductions in the district’s out-of-district transportation costs. "So you can see in the handout, it would be 3% or 3.25, year 3% or 3 and a half," a district staff member said while explaining the conditional structure. The board approved the motion; the item carried on a voice vote.

Why it matters: the district said it spends roughly $2 million on out-of-district transportation and included the conditional raise as an incentive to encourage drivers and monitors to take on more in‑district runs. The contract also raises the trip stipend from $15 to $20 for six‑hour trips, adds a five‑year longevity stipend beginning in year two, and creates a new non‑CDL career track intended to create advancement pathways for monitors into passenger‑van roles.

Supporting details and operational changes include: a differential for employees with CDL endorsements, expanded step tracks (10 tracks for the non‑CDL track, 15 for CDL and bus monitors), two-step increases for bus monitors, grandfathering of wages and steps for drivers hired before June 30, updated seniority tie‑breaking language, summer work clarifications, ACA‑compliant declination and death‑benefit language, and a newly defined "snow teamwork" provision to incentivize weekend or early‑morning work after storms. The district also said it is moving most bargaining groups to a new health plan tier described in the discussion as "orange 2."

During the discussion, a district staff member summarized recruitment and retention challenges with a remark echoed by board members: "it takes 60 days to make a driver and 60 seconds to lose them." Board members asked about where drivers live and the cost of contracting out trips; staff said contracted vendors sometimes come from within a 15–20 mile range and that single trips with outside vendors can cost roughly $600–$800.

The board’s negotiations committee had recommended approval; the motion was made and the contract was adopted. The board also asked administration to aim for a January 15 agreement timeline in future negotiations so contracts are settled earlier in the school year.

Ending: The contract changes take effect July 1, 2025, and the district will monitor out‑of‑district transportation costs next year to determine whether the conditional third‑year increase is met.