Press Releases
Teamsters’ Drive Up Standards Bus Campaign Reaches Milestone Of Organizing 20,000 FirstGroup Workers
The Teamsters’ ‘Drive Up Standards’ campaign to organize private school bus and transit workers nationwide has reached a major milestone, organizing 20,000 FirstGroup workers since the campaign began in 2006.
The Teamsters now represent more than 30,000 FirstGroup and First Transit workers nationwide. FirstGroup is the parent company of First Student, which serves many school districts nationwide. FirstGroup is the third largest Teamster employer.
The campaign has been expanded to include Durham-National Express and Baumann Bus workers. Drive Up Standards is a national campaign to improve safety, service and work standards in the private school bus and transit industry.
“This campaign has been successful because school bus and transit workers are building a movement for change. At this point I don’t think anything can stop their movement for a better workplace, job security, safety and respect.” said James P. Hoffa, Teamsters General President. “We look forward to representing these workers as we win even more organizing victories.”
“From Alaska to Florida, we’re building a movement of workers empowering themselves to win real improvements,” said Jeff Farmer, Teamsters Organizing Director. “This campaign is bringing these workers into the middle class. Our goal is to organize this entire industry.”
Main issues for the workers have been achieving a better workplace, job security, better and affordable healthcare, better wages, and better safety standards.
“We know that as Teamsters we can achieve a better workplace, improve safety standards and our voice will be heard,” said Donald Robinson, a First Student driver at the Overocker yard in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. who recently voted to join Teamsters Local 445 in Newburgh, N.Y.
“Being a Teamster will be beneficial for us in terms of the fairness and respect we need in the workplace,” said Jeanette Berg, a First Student ‘para’, or bus aide, for disabled children in Blaine, Minnesota and member of Teamsters Local 638 in Minneapolis. “The Teamsters will be the backbone that we need here.”
The Teamsters’ Drive Up Standards is in the midst of a “fall offensive” campaign featuring organizing efforts at nearly 20 bus yards. The Durham-National Express and Baumann campaigns got underway earlier this year.
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.