First Student Workers Overwhelmingly Choose Local 384 (Teamsters)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/first-student-workers-overwhelmingly-choose-local-384,414327.shtml

WASHINGTON, May 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- School bus drivers in New Hope, Pennsylvania voted 22-6 in favor of Teamster representation, joining Teamsters Local 384 in Norristown. The 29 New Hope drivers are the third group of First Student workers to join Local 384 in the past week, after successful Teamster elections in Abington and Plymouth Meeting.

"When I realized we had no protection, I realized we needed to work collectively and have a union. We were unified and the vote count reflects this," said Elizabeth Helmstetter, a First Student driver in New Hope.

"We could use better pay and better medical coverage. We needed this," said Ed Ritty, a driver.

As with their First Student coworkers in Abington and Plymouth Meeting, the drivers in New Hope had been employed by Romano's Bus Service, a local family-owned bus company. They became First Student employees in early 2008.

"We're excited that this is the third group of First Student workers to join our local in one week," said Mike Bonaduce, President of Local 384. "We welcome this latest addition of hardworking professionals to our local and look forward to getting to work on their first contract."

In the past week, Local 384 has organized 265 First Student drivers and monitors in Abington, Plymouth Meeting and New Hope. These victories are 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 8,600 workers have become Teamsters. First Student workers will vote in Teamster elections today in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Illinois.

Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States and Canada.