BUS DRIVERS SET TO VOTE ON CONTRACT.

Byline: Sonia Giordani Staff Writer

More than 800 striking Laidlaw school bus drivers will vote Monday on a proposed contract worked out during a marathon negotiating session this weekend.

If approved, drivers would leave the picket lines after two weeks and get back behind the wheel as early as Tuesday morning, said Don Owens, spokesman for Teamsters Local 572 representing the drivers.

``Our negotiating team voted overwhelmingly to take this revised proposal back to the members and recommend its passage,'' he said.

Details of the revised offer were not disclosed Saturday, but Owens said it includes a modest wage increase, better health care coverage and restoration of the pension benefits which Laidlaw originally intended to eliminate.

``And every driver would receive retroactive pay back to August 2001 based on the new wage scales,'' Owens said.

Laidlaw spokesman Jim Ferraro could not be reached Saturday. But on Friday afternoon he said the company had submitted another offer to the union.

``We're optimistic that we can resolve this dispute as soon as possible,'' Ferraro said.

Laidlaw drivers will meet Monday at 9 a.m. at the Airtel Hotel in Van Nuys to discuss the new proposal and cast their vote.

Laidlaw is the largest outside bus company to contract with the Los Angeles Unified School District. Its drivers are responsible for more than 700 routes and 18,000 bus-riding students.

The strike began Tuesday, April 2, stranding some students and causing others to wait for hours for a ride to school in the morning or back home at night.

Field trips have been postponed, and until last Friday all athletic events were canceled.

The union was seeking a 5 percent raise for each of the next three years. Striking drivers said they earn $8.50 to $12 an hour.

The district has relied heavily on overtime to pay in-house drivers and other outside companies to pick up Laidlaw's routes. Some schools have been sharing buses and taking half-days to ensure everyone has a ride home, said LAUSD board member Marlene Canter.

``I will be thrilled if these buses start rolling again,'' said Canter.

``It's really important. Kids have been getting to school late. A few schools have gone to half-days. The students are always the ones most impacted,'' she said. ``I've been getting calls from parents who are concerned.''

Varsity athletic events are scheduled to resume Monday regardless of the vote.

LAUSD officials said they had contacted other outside companies to hire activity buses to pick up varsity athletes and transport them to and from games so at least a portion of the district's sporting events could resume.

Teamsters and Laidlaw officials resumed talks around 5 p.m. Friday evening. Negotiations continued all through the night to about 5:30 a.m. Saturday.

Owens said both sides reached a settlement on the wage increases by about 1 a.m. but spent the rest of the time negotiating on health care benefits.

``The drastic movement by the company on health care now would allow all members to achieve at least 80 percent coverage,'' Owens said.

If approved, the contract would be valid for three years.