Headline News
Germans Say National Express Not Prepared To Work With Unions
Teamster sister unions in Germany, EVG and ver.di, put out a joint press statement this week expressing their concerns about National Express, parent company to Durham School Services in the U.S. and Stock Transportation in Canada. National Express recently won awards to operate passenger rail transport in Germany.
The unions report that National Express has not yet committed to the local sectoral bargaining agreement and has not responded to the letter the unions sent to the company requesting a meeting.
The press statement also specifically mentions bad behavior by the company in the U.S.
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) commented on National Express’s snub of unions in Germany.
Stefan Heimlich, chair of the ITF urban transport committee, said that National Express is well known for its aggressive stance toward trade unions in other countries.
“We know about the group and its union-hostile activities and intimidation of employees in other countries, such as the USA,” Heimlich said.
Durham School Services, National Express’s U.S. subsidiary, has a documented history of anti-worker behavior, including more than 250 unfair labor practice charges filed against the company since 2001. There were also 57 informal complaints issued by the National Labor Relations Board, which oversees the application of labor laws and workers’ rights in the U.S.
These include allegations of coercion and intimidation of employees, unlawful terminations, surveillance and disparate treatment of employees who supported unions.
As recently as Feb. 11, 2013, the NLRB issued a decision finding substantial violations at the Durham school bus yard in San Jose, Calif. Numerous outstanding and serious unfair labor practices exist related to the Feb. 22 Teamsters union election in Santa Rosa County, Fla.
The Teamsters Union and its global partners are working together to drive up standards for school bus workers worldwide at multinational bus companies, including National Express.