It's business as usual for school bus routes as Durham and its drivers reach agreement

A negotiations stalemate between Durham School Services and its association of bus drivers has been resolved, ending the threat of a work stoppage.

Durham provides home-to-school transportation for nearly 1,000 students in Irvine through 60 local routes, and the company also serves the Santa Ana and Laguna Beach districts. In February, a collective bargaining impasse resulted in Durham's drivers authorizing a possible strike. But IUSD has been notified that the two sides were able to reach a tentative agreement, which was formally ratified by union members over the weekend. IUSD was not involved in the dispute, but the district’s transportation staff deserves plenty of kudos for working around the clock to develop contingency plans that would have ensured coverage for all routes. We're pleased to hear those plans won't be needed.