RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Some bus contractors across Rutherford County have pushed for the county to provide liability insurance and a greater pay increase.

Some contracts have been working to negotiate a nearly 35% pay raise for weeks; last week, the Board of Education proposed a 17% raise for contracts with the Rutherford County Bus Contractors Organization.

Cynthia Gossett, who owns Gossett Bus Lines, told News 2 about her lifelong passion for school buses.

"[From a] young age — like 17, 16 — that is when I started learning about school buses and fell in love with them," Gossett said. "...It's a great job."

The RCBCO had planned a strike that would have started on May 1 if the BOE did not return to negotiate.

Gossett Bus Lines, which operates about 13 routes in Rutherford County, had said that their drivers would operate routes as normal — and Gossett is not a member of the RCBCO. She told News 2 that contract negotiations are about building bridges.

"Us — as the contractor community — [want] to build a bridge with the county so that we both get what we need and some of what we want," Gossett said. "That's what negotiating is."

Dr. Jimmy Sullivan, director of Rutherford County Schools, posted a video update that the lawyer for RCS had heard from a lawyer with the RCBCO and that the strike was off. Sullivan has stressed that the district values bus contractors.

"As someone who grew up in this community, riding the bus, I can personally attest to the value our bus contractors provide," Sullivan said.

The district has faced a budget deficit, proposed multiple paths forward, including a parent responsibility zone. The BOE still has to make a final vote, but the PRZs have likely been tabled for a year after concerns from parents and area officials.

"The cost of living — look at your cost to run the business," Gossett said. 'You look at how much the buses have went up, how much the parts to the buses, how much drivers cost, your insurance — like workman's comp."

Gossett said that in addition to a pay increase, she and other contractors would like the district to handle liability insurance.

"The county knows we need a raise," Gossett said. "They're not, for one minute, stepping back and saying 'You all don't need a raise.'"

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/rcs-bus-contractor/