Rhode Island Joint Legislative Commission to Focus on Student Transportation Needs

(PROVIDENCE, R.I.) – Matthew Taibi, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 251, Director of the Teamsters Passenger Transportation Division, and Eastern Region Vice President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, has been appointed to a joint legislative commission to study the Rhode Island student transportation system. Taibi is the only member of the 13-person commission from a labor union.

The resolution to create this much-needed commission was sponsored by Senator Linda Ujifusa and Representative Terri Cortvriend. It was passed by the state legislature in June and is scheduled to become law. The commission will evaluate and determine the transportation needs of school districts statewide and provide their recommendations to the Rhode Island General Assembly by April 16, 2025.

“I am honored to be a part of this important commission and I thank Senator Ujifusa and Representative Cortvriend for making sure that the Teamsters have a seat at the table,” Taibi said. “We cannot talk about student transportation needs without addressing the bus drivers, monitors, aids, mechanics, and countless other workers who play a pivotal role in transporting our students to and from school every day, particularly since more than 70 percent of the workers in this industry are represented by a union. I look forward to working with my fellow commission members to strengthen student transportation statewide, while ensuring that our members are fully represented.”

Teamsters Local 251 represents more than 6,300 workers in a wide variety of industries throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. For more information, visit teamsterslocal251.org.

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