School bus drivers and attendants in Anne Arundel County reached a tentative agreement with employers that offers a bump in wages and “adequate and affordable” health insurance options, the union said in a news release.

The agreement, which will be voted on by UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO members on Sept. 25, halted a potential strike that would have left 7,200 students across 84 bus routes without a ride. The union voted to authorize a strike in late August after rejecting the “best and final offer” from the Annapolis Bus Company and RE Wilson, according to the release.

“They deserve nothing less than fair wages, affordable benefits, and respect on the job,” Ray Lee, spokesperson for the union, said in the release. “This tentative agreement reflects progress, and it never would have happened without the members’ willingness to stand up for themselves and each other.”

Annapolis Bus Company and R E Wilson & Sons, which together are known as Student Transportation of America, couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.

The agreement will go into effect immediately if members vote to ratify it next week.

“We are very encouraged that a final agreement appears to be in sight and that our students will not be harmed by a situation that is totally out of their control,” said Bob Mosier, spokesperson for Anne Arundel County Public Schools.