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CUPE school bus drivers in central Nova Scotia have reason to celebrate after winning their fight to keep school bus services public.

Last week the Chignecto-Central School Board rejected two private-sector proposals one from Laidlaw and the other from Stock Transportation and announced it would continue to provide school bus services in Colchester-East Hants and Pictou County.

Henk Admiraal, president of CUPE 3890 is extremely happy with the news. “We provide a safer, cheaper service thats accountable to the public,” he said. “Private bus service is wrong for our communities and a bad move for our kids.”

The school bus drivers, members of CUPE 3890, worked under the threat of privatization for close to two years. But the campaign against contracting out intensified when the school board invited private sector proposals in early September.

For two months, CUPE 3890 members wore “stop contracting out” buttons to work, took out ads in local newspapers and convinced the public to phone their school board trustees.

“The hard work our members put into this campaign was instrumental in the school boards final decision,” added Admiraal.