R.I. School Bus Drivers Hit Brakes in Quest for Pension

Striking school bus drivers in Providence, R.I., are demanding First Student Transportation replace their 401(k) plan with a pension. The demand follows allegations that First Student Transportation is not matching contributions to the drivers’ 401(k) plans.

“They act like it’s a glitch, there’s no glitch,” Teamsters Local 251 business agent Nick Williams told Bloomberg Law.

The drivers’ request comes at a time when traditional pensions are being requested in labor contract negotiations less and less. Bloomberg Law data credits the decline in popularity to “a combination of current costs and future pension liabilities.”

First Student Transportation spokesperson Chris Kemper called ...