News Updates
School Bus Drivers Speak Out About Safety, Human Rights Concerns
January 26, 2012(OAKLAND, Calif.) – School bus drivers with Durham School Services in Hayward and Livermore, Calif., joined today with Teamster, political, religious and other community leaders at a “Driver Speak Out” to demand better working conditions.
“Every day these hardworking drivers transport our children to school, providing a vital service for our communities. They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. It’s time that they are heard by this company,” said Rome Aloise, President of Teamsters Joint Council 7 and International Vice President.
Several school bus drivers from the Hayward and Livermore Durham locations spoke out about poor working conditions at the company.
“Durham has been swapping our newer buses for the aging buses of another yard so they can stay compliant there, but we have at least one to several buses breaking down every day,” said Ernie Talbott, a Livermore driver. “Where’s Durham’s commitment to safety and providing quality services?”
“I’m concerned about a lot of things,” said Linda Aguiar, a 25-year Livermore driver. “We don’t have paid sick leave and the health insurance Durham offers is too expensive for most drivers to afford, so they go without. It’s a large portion of our meager earnings to have coverage if we get sick.”
“This is a highly profitable company, but drivers are struggling to survive and support our families. For us this isn’t about being comfortable; it’s about our survival,” said Maria Lopez, a Hayward driver.
Numerous political, community and religious leaders and organizations showed their support for the drivers, including Sen. Loni Hancock (D-Oakland); Alameda County Supervisor Nadia Lockyer (District 2); Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan (District 3); Alameda County Superintendent of Schools Sheila Jordan; Alameda Labor Council Executive Secretary- Treasurer Josie Camacho; Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont); Rev. Tita Valeriano, Messiah Lutheran Church in Hayward and Hayward Congregations Organizing for Renewal; Rev. Daniel Buford, Allen Temple; Igor Tregub, Berkeley Rent Board Commissioner; Andrew Dadko, Program Director for EBASE; Sophie Noero, Worksafe; author David Bacon; and California Young Democrats, Black Caucus.
Durham drivers in Hayward and Livermore are currently organizing with the Teamsters to improve their working conditions. The 180 drivers will vote in their Teamster election on Friday, Feb. 17.
Durham is a subsidiary of National Express Group, a large multinational corporation based in the United Kingdom. Durham is the second largest provider of school bus transportation services in the United States, servicing 11 school districts in northern California.
John Logan, Professor at San Francisco State University and Visiting Research Fellow at University of California-Berkeley, recently published a report exploring National Express Group’s human rights record. The report detailed the company’s anti-worker behavior in the U.S. and its failure to uphold international labor rights standards.
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 32,400 drivers, monitors, aides, attendants and mechanics have become Teamsters.
Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. For more information, go to www.teamster.org or follow us on Twitter @TeamsterPower.
First Student Monitors Join Teamsters
January 24, 2012(WASHINGTON) – First Student monitors in Olathe, Kan., have voted overwhelmingly to join Teamsters Local 838 in Kansas City, Mo. The 95 workers are uniting for better wages, benefits, respect and a voice on the job.
“I feel the industry that we’re in really needs to drive up their standards. We need better benefits and pay, especially given the jobs that we do,” said Patricia Heath, a First Student monitor.
The organizing committee of workers worked hard together throughout the campaign, rallying support behind their successful effort to gain Teamster representation. The monitors join the more than 200 school bus drivers at this location who were already members of Local 838.
“We’ve really come together throughout the whole process. There is communication now where none existed before,” Heath said.
“We’re hoping that we can add some stability to these people’s lives. We look forward to bargaining a great first contract for them,” said Billy Thompson, President of Local 838. “I welcome these workers to the Teamster family.”
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 32,400 drivers, monitors, aides, attendants and mechanics have become Teamsters.
Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @TeamsterPower.
Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare Forces Workers To Strike For Unfair Labor Practices
January 10, 2012ROSEMONT — The management of Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare in Rosemont has forced its shuttle drivers and bellmen out to the strike line after continuing to refuse to bargain in good faith with Teamsters Local 727 over a new contract.
“The union has made every effort to reach an agreement and avoid this labor dispute, but management absolutely will not cooperate at the bargaining table,” said John Coli Jr., President of Local 727. “Their unreasonable behavior has literally forced our members out into the cold.”
The labor dispute began at 7 a.m. Jan. 9 after members voted unanimously to strike because of the ongoing unfair labor practices. Local 727 representatives joined the workers on the strike line outside the hotel, which is located at 5540 N. River Road in Rosemont.
Local 727 has filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board against the Rosemont hotel for bargaining in bad faith. Crowne Plaza management made itself available for less than an hour for two of the three bargaining sessions with Local 727 representatives and continues to deny the union’s requests for relevant information in writing.
Union representatives are attempting to secure a new agreement for 11 bellmen and shuttle drivers, whose previous five-year contract expired Dec. 31. The last negotiation meeting was Dec. 29.
“The union will stand with our members on the strike line and fight for them at the bargaining table for as long as it takes,” Coli said. “All these workers want is a new contract and to be treated with dignity and respect. Is that really too much to ask for?”
Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare Facing Possible Labor Dispute
January 5, 2012ROSEMONT — The management of Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare could be facing a labor dispute after refusing to bargain in good faith with Teamsters Local 727 over a new contract for bellmen and shuttle drivers at the Rosemont hotel.
“Management is being completely unreasonable, and their tactics are abhorrent,” said John Coli Jr., President of Local 727. “Our dedicated members work hard every day, serving hundreds of hotel patrons while battling the elements year-round. They have the right to a new contract and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.”
Local 727 was forced to file unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board against Crowne Plaza management for bargaining in bad faith. The union also held a strike authorization vote with members last week due to the ongoing unfair labor practices, and it passed unanimously.
Local 727 representatives are attempting to secure a new agreement for 11 bellmen and shuttle drivers, whose previous five-year contract expired Dec. 31, 2011. The hotel is located at 5540 N. River Road in Rosemont.
Crowne Plaza management made itself available for less than an hour for two of the three bargaining sessions with Local 727 representatives and is refusing to provide relevant information requested by the union in writing. The last negotiation meeting was Dec. 29.
“The union has remained cooperative and continues to make itself available for negotiations, but management simply will not reciprocate,” Coli said. “By refusing to bargain in good faith they are sending a message that their employees are not important, and the union absolutely will not stand for it.”
Metal-Finishing Workers in Illinois Join Local 781
December 21, 2011By a 30-9 tally, workers at Micron Metal Finishing near Chicago voted to join Local 781 in Des Plaines, Illinois. There are 51 workers in the bargaining unit.
“The workers put industrial finishes on different metal parts,” said Paul Stripling, Local 781 President. “Their health care is very expensive and no one can afford to pay for it. The workers earn about $10.50 an hour so they also are seeking fair wages for the work they do.”
Safety is another major issue.
“Company safety procedures are on paper only,” Stripling said. He noted that the workers are concerned about inhaling dangerous chemicals and they want steps taken to improve safety and ventilation.
“I want to thank Local 781 Vice President Hernon Gomez for coordinating the campaign,” Stripling said. “We also had two Local 781 volunteer organizers, Gerard Adams and Wally Swanson, who received excellent training from International Union organizer Greg Chockley.”
The election took place in September.
New Report: National Express Group’s Workplace Rights Policy Falls Far Short Of International Standards
December 12, 2011Washington, DC – In recent years, employees of Durham School Services, the nation’s second-largest private student transportation provider, have sought to form unions in order to gain decent pay and a voice on the job. But like so many workers, Durham employees have faced active resistance from their employer—despite the company’s claim to be a model corporate citizen that respects basic workplace rights.
A new study from American Rights at Work compares the “Workplace Rights Policy” of National Express Group, Durham’s parent company, to internationally-accepted standards for workers’ rights, and finds that the company’s policy falls far short of protecting its employees’ freedom of association and other fundamental rights on the job. On the contrary, the policy selectively includes only the rights that serve the interests of management and provides cover for the company’s aggressive anti-union campaigns.
The report, “Analysis of National Express Group PLC’s Workplace Rights Policy,” is available here.
“We’ve seen it before: Companies that respect their employees’ rights overseas take advantage of our country’s lower standards to trample workers’ rights here in the states,” said Kimberly Freeman Brown, Executive Director of American Rights at Work. “But in this upside down economy, it’s more important than ever that Americans can join together on the job for a fair shake. Paying lip service to international workers’ rights standards is inexcusable —it’s time for Durham School Services to walk the walk.”
Durham School Services is the U.S. division of National Express Group, a large, multinational transportation conglomerate based in the United Kingdom. With a fleet of over 13,000 buses, Durham currently holds contracts with 350 school districts located in 30 states.
New Report: National Express Group’s Workplace Rights Policy Falls Far Short Of International Standards
December 12, 2011Washington, DC – In recent years, employees of Durham School Services, the nation’s second-largest private student transportation provider, have sought to form unions in order to gain decent pay and a voice on the job. But like so many workers, Durham employees have faced active resistance from their employer—despite the company’s claim to be a model corporate citizen that respects basic workplace rights.
A new study from American Rights at Work compares the “Workplace Rights Policy” of National Express Group, Durham’s parent company, to internationally-accepted standards for workers’ rights, and finds that the company’s policy falls far short of protecting its employees’ freedom of association and other fundamental rights on the job. On the contrary, the policy selectively includes only the rights that serve the interests of management and provides cover for the company’s aggressive anti-union campaigns.
The report, “Analysis of National Express Group PLC’s Workplace Rights Policy,” is available here.
“We’ve seen it before: Companies that respect their employees’ rights overseas take advantage of our country’s lower standards to trample workers’ rights here in the states,” said Kimberly Freeman Brown, Executive Director of American Rights at Work. “But in this upside down economy, it’s more important than ever that Americans can join together on the job for a fair shake. Paying lip service to international workers’ rights standards is inexcusable —it’s time for Durham School Services to walk the walk.”
Durham School Services is the U.S. division of National Express Group, a large, multinational transportation conglomerate based in the United Kingdom. With a fleet of over 13,000 buses, Durham currently holds contracts with 350 school districts located in 30 states.
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