The Wheels on the bus go union now

Every day, hard-working men and women all across America deliver the most precious goods a driver can ever haul: children on their way to another day at school.

Budget cuts have hit every part of our public education system, including school bus services. More often than not, profitable bus companies pass those cuts down to school bus drivers in the form of stagnant wages, unaffordable health care, and unsafe buses.

The good news is that during the last few years, more than 35,000 school bus drivers nationwide have joined with America’s largest transportation union—our International Brotherhood of Teamsters—to drive up standards in the school bus industry.

Many of them are bus drivers at First Student, the largest school bus company in the U.S. They organized with us under a historic national agreement that protects their right to organize without interference, harassment, or intimidation. This took a lot of hard work and organizing to win, because no employer likes to let us in.

Many First Student bus drivers here in our Joint Council organized under this agreement, and last July, 91% of First Student drivers nationwide ratified a firstever, 4-year national agreement that raises standards for Teamster bus drivers coast-to-coast. We enjoy good labor relations with First Student, delivering a win for the children, for our members, and school districts.

Unfortunately, bus drivers with Durham School Services — the second largest bus company in the U.S. — don’t have it so good. Their parent company, British-based National Express Group, operates more than 13,000 buses with 350 school districts in 30 states. They are the 1%. And like many of the 1%, they got their money off the hard labor of others.

Durham bus drivers in Joint Council 7’s area take children with special needs to school. You would think such an important job would merit decent pay and benefits. After all, these are the most vulnerable children in our society! But Durham sees things another way.

Well, Durham is getting an education that the kids don’t get at school. In San Jose, under the leadership of Local 287, more than 200 bus drivers for Durham and Student Transportation of America just voted to join our union. Now Durham drivers in Alameda County are organizing with us, too.

Both of these campaigns are receiving strong support from elected officials, everybody from school board members to city council members, county supervisors, and state legislators. They’ve written letters to Durham, called the company, and even marched on the boss with drivers delivering petitions. This is why we do politics. We support politicians who support workers.

Look for this campaign to roll into a school near you soon. The wheels on the bus are going union now!