Massachusetts School Bus Drivers Join Teamsters Local 653

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International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Mar 01, 2010, 12:30 ET

First Student Drivers Latest Group in New England to Choose Teamsters

WASHINGTON, March 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- First Student school bus drivers in Duxbury, Massachusetts, are the latest group of school bus workers to join the Teamsters Union in New England. The workers voted 19-5 to join Teamsters Local 653 in South Easton, Massachusetts. There are 24 workers in the bargaining unit.

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"When you feel backed into a corner, you need to do something. It was time to organize," said John Gaffney, a seven-year driver with the company. "We're at the mercy of the company and have seen promises not kept, wages frozen and benefits reduced."

According to Brian McElhinney, Vice President of Local 653, First Student drivers from nearby Teamster-represented locations came out to support their coworkers in Duxbury as they worked to organize.

Since January 19, 300 school bus workers at seven First Student locations throughout New England, including Duxbury, have joined the Teamsters.

"We're happy to welcome our newest school bus members and look forward to negotiating a strong agreement that will improve their working conditions," said David W. Laughton, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Joint Council 10.

The 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 25,000 drivers, monitors, aides, mechanics and attendants have become Teamsters.

For more information on the Drive Up Standards campaign, go to: www.schoolbusworkersunited.org

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

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters