Contract is Latest Success for Rhode Island Teamster School Bus Workers

(SCITUATE, R.I.) – Drivers at First Student of Scituate have unanimously ratified their first collective bargaining agreement with Teamsters Local 251.

“Congratulations to everyone who stood strong at this location throughout this process,” Matthew Taibi, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 251. “These workers are part of a grassroots movement of school bus workers who are demanding that they be respected for the essential work they do for communities throughout the state and compensated accordingly.”

The newest collective bargaining agreement includes a number of improvements that bring the drivers up to the wage and benefit standards enjoyed by other First Student workers represented by Local 251. The victory is the latest in a string of recent successes for Teamster school bus workers in the Ocean State. Last week, Durham Smithfield workers ratified their first contract. Within the past three years, school bus workers in Pawtucket, Warren, Portsmouth, Coventry and East Providence have all ratified agreements with Local 251 that have significant improvements. On the legislative front, Rhode Island Teamsters successfully lobbied for the passage of H6118A and S635A, which improves job protections for school bus workers.

Liz Taylor served on the negotiating committee and she’s worked at the First Student Scituate location for over twenty years.

“We are very happy that we finally came to an agreement with First Student after a lengthy negotiation process,” Taylor said. “We feel like we will finally start to be treated fairly.”

Teamsters Local 251 represents over 6,300 workers in a wide variety of industries throughout Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts, including approximately 1,000 school bus workers in Rhode Island. For more information, go to https://teamsterslocal251.org/.

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