TACOMA, Wash. — Update: On Wednesday, 22 bus drivers called in sick, for the third day in a row.
On Tuesday the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 286 sent a letter to its members. The letter stated they had become aware of "numerous absences" in the Tacoma School District and they have not coordinated, nor condoned, a work stoppage.
The letter went on to say, "In the event these absences are not due to illness, but some type of concerted activity, this is in violation of the collective bargaining agreement."
The union also said members should immediately go back to work or they may face disciplinary action.
Update: More than two dozen bus drivers who transport special needs students in Tacoma have called in sick for a second day. And for Jana Smith, the second day of the apparent sickout means headaches, especially for her three special needs grandkids who can't get to school.
“It causes a lot of emotional trauma,” said Smith. “And you can’t prepare them for something that’s unexpected.”
Of 56 drivers who transport special needs students, 24 called in sick on Monday and 26 called in sick Tuesday. Why they're doing it isn't known.
“We have not been given any explanation whatsoever,” said Tacoma Schools spokesman Dan Voelpel.
The union representing the drivers wouldn't comment on camera to KIRO 7 but said by phone it simply appears a lot of the drivers are sick. In an email to Tacoma Public Schools obtained by KIRO 7 union business representative Margie Stone wrote, "I want to be clear that the Union is not involved, nor does it condone any coordinated unauthorized work stoppage".
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Voelpel said the drivers recently got a 3.1 percent pay increase even though their contract only called for a 1.2 percent pay hike.
“So we went above and beyond what the contract said and we felt like that was a show of good faith to the bus drivers that we value their contributions,” Voelpel said.
He added the district approached First Student, the private contractor that transports the majority of Tacoma Schools 30,000 students asking for temporary drivers to step in if there's another sickout, but said First Student didn’t have drivers available.
Previous Coverage: Two dozen special needs school bus drivers in Tacoma staged what appeared to be a sickout Monday, leaving hundreds of students without a ride to school.
That made for a tough morning for Jana Smith. She was waiting for the school bus to come get her three grandkids. All are special needs students and all go to different schools, so they depend on the bus. Then she got a call saying the buses weren't coming.
“It kind of flipped our whole morning upside down,” Smith said. “I schedule all the special needs appointments around the bus schedules.”
According to a Tacoma public schools spokesman 24 of 56 school bus drivers called in sick to work this morning. About half of the 750 special needs students who rely on the bus were stranded.
All the special needs bus drivers work for the school district and other students ride buses operated by an outside contractor so they were not affected by the apparent sickout.
But hundreds of families were surprised and left without answers.
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"I woke up this morning and my phone had blown up," said Sue Leusner, president of the Special Needs Parent Teacher Association.
She said parents she'd spoken with were angry and worried the sick out may not be over.
Leusner said for low-income families who can't afford a car, the school bus is a lifeline.
“They rely on public transport and they’re just scrambling to figure out, what do we do this afternoon? What if the same things happens tomorrow?”
Tacoma Schools spokesman Dan Voelpel said the district’s contract with union representing drivers isn’t due for renegotiation until 2020. KIRO 7 contacted the Operating Engineers Local 286 early Monday. Those calls were not returned.
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