April 19, 2023

WHEREAS, The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 160 Local Lodge 289 members working for Shoreline School District began negotiations in July of 2022, and have not yet reached an agreement, and;

WHEREAS, Union members have been understanding throughout negotiations of the School District’s financial situation and have accepted only modest wage increases despite historic inflation across the region, and;

WHEREAS, The Shoreline School District under the direction of School District Transportation Director Mary Sherman has been forcing IAM mechanics to drive school busses due to a shortage of bus drivers, and;

WHEREAS, Section 2.3.2 of the existing IAM District 160 contract with Shoreline School District states that mechanics are only to drive busses in an emergency defined as any mechanical issue that makes a bus or vehicle inoperable or unsafe to drive–not a shortage of bus drivers, and;

WHEREAS, Forcing unionized mechanics to drive school buses outside of cases of true emergency poses a safety risk to school children riding the bus due to a lack of knowledge of the bus routes by mechanics, and;

WHEREAS, When unionized mechanics are out driving bus routes, they are not being given the time needed by management to do their jobs in making sure the busses are serviced and cared for in a timely manner creating numerous safety concerns, and;

WHEREAS, IAM District 160 mechanics have an incentive bonus in their current contract based on their work performance on mechanical work which doesn’t account for time spent driving busses resulting in a loss of earning potential for members, and;

WHEREAS, IAM District 160 has pushed tirelessly to include further clarifying language in their new contract defining an ‘emergency’ with Shoreline School District since our mechanic members have been driving busses for months without any movement from the School District to hire an adequate number of bus drivers thereby resolving the safety and earning potential issues surrounding mechanics driving busses.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Martin Luther King (MLK) County Labor Council and its affiliate members share the safety and earning potential concerns expressed by IAM District 160 and will support the unionized mechanics in achieving a fair contract, and;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the MLK County Labor Council will send a letter expressing concern and support to the Superintendent of Shoreline Unified School District, members of the Shoreline Unified School Board, and the Shoreline Unified School District’s Transportation Director Mary Sherman, and take other steps necessary and appropriate to ensure these union mechanics have their concerns addressed satisfactorily.