First Student Bus drivers in Owen Sound, Kincardine, and Georgetown may go on strike over wages and unpaid work time

TORONTO, Nov. 3, 2025 /CNW/ - Unifor is warning the public that its First Student Canada members working as school bus drivers in three units located in the Southwestern Ontario regions of Kincardine, Owen Sound and Georgetown may go on strike the morning of Nov. 10, 2025, if a deal is not reached with the employer.

"Our First Student Bus members are 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 4268 voted in favour of a strike mandate on Sept. 24 with Owen Sound at 92% and Kincardine at 100%. The local represents 42 First Student Bus drivers and two apprentices in Kincardine, 105 in Owen Sound and 110 in Georgetown. 

The Georgetown unit, which are negotiating their first contract, service the Halton Catholic District School Board, Halton District School Board and a few routes for Conseil Scolaire Catholique MonAvenir and Conseil Scolaire Viamonde. The routes primarily service Georgetown, Milton and Acton and impact roughly 6,000 students.

This group voted for strike action in June at 97%.

First Student Kincardine members service 34 routes in the Bluewater District School Board and the Bruce-Grey Catholic School Board and 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