D113A, Bus Drivers Settle on New Contract

Lemont-Bromberek District 113A board members Wednesday signed off on a new contract for the district’s bus drivers, custodians and maintenance workers.

As part of the three-year agreement, pay increases scheduled in the second and third year for the district’s 21 bus drivers will reflect the Consumer Price Index. The condition means funds won’t have to be shifted away from the classroom to cover the raises.

Board members Brian Bushnell and Patrick Kerrigan were absent.

The board has been examining its spending on transportation since rejecting a proposal in April to outsource the busing services. The proposal was projected to save the district $140,000 over three years. Most of the drivers are employed part-time.

Under the guidelines of the Affordable Care Act, the district in 2016 would have been required to cover health care costs for four bus drivers who work more than 30 hours each week. Instead, those bus drivers scaled back their hours by five each week, to prevent the district having to pay.