Richmond bus drivers known as ‘the RPS Five’ reinstated

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Richmond City Public Schools (RPS) and the Laborers' International Union of North America Local 804 (LIUNA), announced Monday that they've reached an agreement in an initial collective bargaining agreement for "the RPS Five" bus drivers after they were terminated.

On April 25, five RPS bus drivers were fired, following call-outs that led to the cancellation of after-school activities. However, as a part of ongoing negotiations, the school system has agreed to reinstate them.

RPS Five reach agreement with RPS and LIUNA Local 804

According to a press release from RPS and LIUNA, under the terms of the reinstatement, the five bus drivers will return to their jobs as soon as July 1. In addition, the release said they are committed to preventing future cancellations of any school programs that require bus services to ensure that students can get to school and home predictably and on time.

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This is a three-year agreement and will extend to the end of the 2026-27 school year -- the release also states that it resolves two items that brought the two groups to a standstill in the fall of 2024, regarding overtime pay.

Under the new terms, bus drivers will now have a six-hour per day contract as opposed to the previous eight-hour per day contracts. This move was made to reduce overtime costs -- bus drivers' salaries will remain the same.

Under the new system implemented by LIUNA Local 804 and RPS for activity runs, drivers will no longer receive a flat two hours of pay, but will be compensated for their time worked. This includes pay for the 30-minute staging period before their after-school runs, which will be paid at their hourly rate.

Bus drivers will also be paid in quarter-hour intervals for the time that's required to complete activity runs, exemplified like this according to the release:

"If a driver’s run starts at 5:00 p.m. and ends at 6:03 p.m., the drive will be paid for 4:30-6:15 p.m."

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Shavonda Fernandez, School Board chair and 9th district representative, shared the following on the recent announcement:

“It is our solemn obligation to care for our students from the moment they leave home until they return safely to their caregivers. That level of commitment must remain at the center of every decision we make across the district. This agreement reflects a shared commitment among the  Administration and LIUNA to stay aligned, focused and united in purpose—understanding that every choice should reflect what’s best for the students we serve. We appreciate that LIUNA and the Administration were able to come to a resolution, and as a Board, we will always support sound governance that reflects transparency, accountability, and a focus on what is best for students. We look forward to continued collaboration rooted in our shared responsibility to serve the children and families of Richmond Public Schools.” Shavonda Fernandez

Transportation employees will also receive a 7% pay increase for the 2026-27 school year, and with the pay increase, the average bus driver salary will be $51,540 annually, a 23% increase over three years since 2024.

“I’m delighted we were able to negotiate this compromise agreement to ensure uninterrupted bus service this fall,” said RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras. "This is a win for RPS, a win for our drivers, and most importantly, a win for our 22,000 students."

Keon Shim, LIUNA Local 804 business manager, shared his appreciation for the compromise.

"Local 804 looks forward to working with RPS and the School Board going forward to ensure safe, timely, and efficient transportation for students,” he stated.

"These hardworking bus drivers want to do their best for the students they serve," Shim added.