Wood River Junction School Bus Workers Seek Fairness and Respect
WASHINGTON, April 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- First Student school bus
workers in Wood River Junction, Rhode Island, have voted to join Teamsters
Local 251 in East Providence, taking a critical step toward gaining important
changes in their workplace, including fair pay, better and more affordable
health insurance and respect on the job.
"I'm extremely happy that we're Teamsters. I made the call to the Teamsters to
get this started because we need better pay, better benefits and a system for
handing out work that is fair," said Bonnie Pierce, a driver with First
Student in Wood River Junction. "My husband is a Teamster and his benefits are
excellent. I would like the same for all of us here."
The bargaining unit of 120 workers includes drivers, mechanics, maintenance
employees, aides, monitors and attendants.
"We worked hard to join the Teamsters because we needed it," said Kim Reilly,
a driver. "I don't have the insurance because it's too expensive, so I would
like better benefits and for the favoritism to end."
The dedicated organizing committee of workers was assisted by Local 251 and
International Union organizers in making the vote for Teamster representation
a reality.
"Congratulations to these workers for standing up for a voice in their
workplace. This is a great victory, and it will hopefully result in more
school bus workers joining the Teamsters to make improvements in their
workplace," said Joseph Bairos, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 251.
"We're pleased that these hardworking men and women have joined the Teamsters
and we will do all we can to serve and help negotiate a great contract for
them," said Dave Laughton, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Joint Council 10.
This victory is the latest in an effort to organize private school bus and
transit workers across the country. Drive Up Standards is a national campaign
to improve safety, service and work standards in the private school bus and
transit industry. Since the campaign began in 2006, more than 16,500 workers
have become Teamsters.
Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents more than 1.4 million
hardworking men and women in the United States and Canada.
SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Galen Munroe, +1-202-624-6904, gmunroe@teamster.org
