Teamsters' 'Drive Up Standards' Bus Campaign Reaches Milestone of Organizing 20,000 FirstGroup Workers

Teamsters' 'Drive Up Standards' Bus Campaign Reaches Milestone of Organizing
20,000 FirstGroup Workers

Teamsters Expect More Organizing Victories This Year

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Teamsters' 'Drive Up
Standards' campaign to organize private school bus and transit workers
nationwide has reached a major milestone, organizing 20,000 FirstGroup workers
since the campaign began in 2006

The Teamsters now represent more than 30,000 FirstGroup and First Transit
workers nationwide. FirstGroup is the parent company of First Student, which
serves many school districts nationwide. FirstGroup is the third largest
Teamster employer.

The campaign has been expanded to include Durham-National Express and Baumann
Bus workers. Drive Up Standards is a national campaign to improve safety,
service and work standards in the private school bus and transit industry.

"This campaign has been successful because school bus and transit workers are
building a movement for change. At this point I don't think anything can stop
their movement for a better workplace, job security, safety and respect." said
James P. Hoffa, Teamsters General President. "We look forward to representing
these workers as we win even more organizing victories."

"From Alaska to Florida, we're building a movement of workers empowering
themselves to win real improvements," said Jeff Farmer, Teamsters Organizing
Director. "This campaign is bringing these workers into the middle class. Our
goal is to organize this entire industry."

Main issues for the workers have been achieving a better workplace, job
security, better and affordable healthcare, better wages, and better safety
standards.

"We know that as Teamsters we can achieve a better workplace, improve safety
standards and our voice will be heard," said Donald Robinson, a First Student
driver at the Overocker yard in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. who recently voted to join
Teamsters Local 445 in Newburgh, N.Y.

"Being a Teamster will be beneficial for us in terms of the fairness and
respect we need in the workplace," said Jeanette Berg, a First Student 'para',
or bus aide, for disabled children in Blaine, Minnesota and member of
Teamsters Local 638 in Minneapolis. "The Teamsters will be the backbone that
we need here."

The Teamsters' Drive Up Standards is in the midst of a "fall offensive"
campaign featuring organizing efforts at nearly 20 bus yards. The
Durham-National Express and Baumann campaigns got underway earlier this year.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4
million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto
Rico.

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Galen Munroe of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, +1-202-624-6911,
gmunroe@teamster.org