Madison County School District Worried About Possible School Bus Driver Strike

By: Heather Burke |
Published: October 14, 2009

The Madison County School District reaches a temporary agreement with its union drivers to keep buses running in their district.
We're told attorneys for the drivers and the school district will meet this Friday to talk more about the situation.
A meeting was held Wednesday morning before a Madison County judge, to address the injunction the school district filed tuesday to keep the buses running.
We've learned the district is delaying court action on the injunction until both sides meet Friday.
"All of this is basically a handshake, gentlemen's agreement," said Madison County Superintendent Mike Kent. "Nothing is in writing and either party can get mad, and we'd be in trouble in 30 seconds."
The Teamsters President wants to assure parents they don't have to worry about transportation for their children, at least this week.
Still, some parents like Melissa Thornton are worried about what can happen in the near future.
"I feel there may be more parents that will have to take their kids to school," said Thornton. "And that will cause much more traffic."
Thornton is a dental hygenist and says in order for her to start seeing patients on time, her children have to ride the bus to school.
"If they don't ride the bus, my day starts earlier rather than if they do ride the bus," said Thornton. "We have to get in a carpool line earlier."
Hinds County schools also filed an injunction Tuesday to stop the planned strike.
Yazoo County drivers are also members of the union, but agreed not to strike until the issues in Madison and Hinds Counties were resolved.