More First Student Workers Join Union

First Student monitors in Olathe, Kan., voted to join 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 monitors join the more than 200 school bus drivers at this location who were already members of Local 838. 

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.