News
Teamsters Building On Success At First Student
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Our four-year National Agreement at First Student has provided us with protections and guarantees and now it is due for an update, as negotiations are set to begin on a new agreement.
Contract negotiations are scheduled January 27-28. In 2011, First Student Teamsters made history by ratifying the national agreement, the first of its kind in the school bus industry.
It’s time to build on the success of the existing agreement, which provided:
- Immediate, standard language from which all future contracts will build upon;
- A “best of both worlds” clause for yards that already have contracts. This allows local unions to apply the highest standards from either a local agreement or the national contract, preventing any workers from bargaining down;
- A new qualification threshold for the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which reduces hours worked from 1,250 to 700;
- Whistleblower protections for employees who point out unsafe equipment or working conditions;
- Free flu shots for employees who want them;
- Paid jury duty leave for up to three weeks;
- Layoff notice and seniority protections;
- Employer-paid uniforms for any workers required to wear them; and
- Creation of a national grievance procedure.
Stay Involved and Informed
The contract will continue to lay the foundation for future gains. The immediate, standard language from which we build upon means WE can make the difference in our job and how we are treated. We need to know our contract. If you don’t have a copy, your shop steward or business agent should be able to provide you with a copy and answer any questions you may have.
Together, let’s ratify – and improve – our landmark national agreement at First Student.
Stay informed—for the latest updates, visit www.teamster.org/firststudent