Unifor is warning the public that its First Student Canadamembers working as school bus drivers in three units located in the Southwestern Ontario regions of Kincardine, Owen Sound and Georgetown maygo on strike the morning of Nov. 10, 2025,if a deal is not reached with the employer.
“Our First Student Busmembersare part-timers who are trying to make a living wage,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
The key issues of this dispute in all three units are wages and unpaid work time.
Unifor members from Local 4268voted in favour ofa strike mandate on Sept. 24with Owen Sound at 92% and Kincardine at 100%. The localrepresents42 First Student Bus drivers and two apprentices in Kincardine, 105 in Owen Sound and 110in Georgetown.
The Georgetown unit, whichare negotiating their first contract, service the Halton Catholic District School Board, Halton District School Board and a few routes for Conseil Scolaire Catholique MonAvenir andConseil Scolaire Viamonde. The routes primarily service Georgetown, Milton andActonand impact roughly 6,000 students.
This group voted for strike action in June at97%.
First Student Kincardine members service 34 routes in the Bluewater District School Board andthe Bruce-Grey Catholic School Boardand are responsible for transporting 2,260 students in the communities of Saugeen Shores, Kincardine, Tiverton, Tara and surrounding rural areas.
First Student Owen Sound operates in the Bluewater District School Board.
“School bus drivers just want respect and fair treatment because their job is to ensure our most precious cargo-our kids-arrive safely to and from school,” said Unifor Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi.
“Unifor continues to be ready and available to reach a fair collective agreement.”
Unifor represents 20,000 members across the road transportation sector, with over 2,000 school bus drivers.
Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad,and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
SOURCE Unifor
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