District School Workers Win Back Pay

District School Workers Win Back Pay

D.C. Council's Actions Effective Immediately

December 19, 2001

(Washington, D.C.) – After years of being stonewalled, more than 150 Teamsters, who work for the district’s school system, packed a city council session to demand the council fund several arbitrators’ awards for back pay. Their determination paid off when the council called a special session and agreed to fund the more than $10 million award.

“What we saw in this council meeting today was a demonstration of the power brought about by a unified Teamsters membership and direct participation in local politics,” said John Catlett, President of Teamsters Local 639 in Washington, D.C. “It speaks a lot for our members and their families that so many took time off of work to show the members of the D.C. City Council that we meant business.”

Teamster Locals 639 and 730 have served as collective bargaining agents for the workers since 1986. Despite winning more than four arbitration awards for compensation over the past decade, this is the first time the council has funded the raises. The Teamsters work as food service workers, full-time bus drivers, custodians, repair workers and engineers.

Highlights of today’s council action include:

• A 3.7 percent wage increase retroactive from 1998-2000;
• A $1,800 payment of bonuses to Teamster employees from 1996-2000;
• A 3.9 percent wage increase retroactive from 1999-2000; and
• Assurances that Teamster district employees pay scales will be correctly funded in 2002.

"We are very thankful for the hard work of Council Member Kevin Chavous," said Archie Smith, President of Local 730. “Through the mobilization of our members and his lobbying we proved we could get some economic justice for these Teamsters.”

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