Teamsters warn of possible Durham School Services strike that could halt Everett bus service

At the Sept. 30 Everett Public Schools board meeting, Samantha Kantak, secretary-treasurer and principal officer of Teamsters Local 38, warned the board of a strong possibility of a labor dispute with Durham School Services that could disrupt student transportation across the district.

"We don't want that to happen," Kantak said, urging the district to press for a resolution. She told the board Teamsters Local 38 represents roughly 175 Durham employees who transport most Everett students and said the union has held nine bargaining sessions with Durham since June.

Kantak told the board Durham "has refused to bargain in good faith" and that the union had filed a federal unfair labor practice charge against the company alleging unlawful bargaining behavior. She said Durham has declined to negotiate over a statutory requirement the union cited — described in the public remarks as "House Bill 12 4, 48" — that Kantak said requires comparable pension and health-care benefits no later than August 2027.

Kantak also said the union had informed the district of the dispute multiple times and that, in her view, the district had been "uninterested in the process and unwilling to help sort this issue out." She closed by urging the district to "take seriously this situation and work with the parties to resolve this issue short of a strike."

Board members did not engage in a substantive response during public comment; no district official made an immediate statement at the meeting addressing bargaining details. Kantak’s remarks were the most direct public warning the board received at the meeting regarding near-term risks to daily student transportation.

The district did not present any motion or official reply on the record at the meeting; staff and board members acknowledged receipt of public comment and noted the district typically follows up with written responses to public speakers when appropriate.