Teamsters, Members of Congress Rally for School Bus Workers' Rights

[Omaha Steve]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20070409/pl_usnw/teamsters__members_of_congress_rally_for_school_bus_workers__rights

Teamsters, Members of Congress Rally for School Bus Workers' Rights

Mon Apr 9, 11:15 AM ET

To: EDUCATION EDITORS

Contact: David White, of International Brotherhood of Teamsters, [phone], [e-mail]

NAPERVILLE, Ill., April 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Teamsters rallied here today, calling on the world's largest private school bus transportation company to treat its workers fairly and remain neutral in their fight to form a union. The Teamsters were joined by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Rep. Phil Hare (news, bio, voting record) (D-IL).

Naperville is home to the corporate headquarters of Laidlaw International Inc., which is being bought by U.K.-based FirstGroup, owner of First Student. The deal would make First Student the largest private school bus transportation company in the world.

"We want First Student to be a better employer in Chicago, and for that matter, the entire state of Illinois and the rest of the country," said John Coli, Teamsters International Vice President and President of Teamsters Joint Council 25 in Chicago. "It is critical that our sons and daughters travel to and from school on a safe bus with a good driver. First Student's drivers want to form a union and they should have that opportunity without facing threats, intimidation and retaliation."

FirstGroup has a neutrality policy regarding union organizing. At the time of its issuance in July 2006, FirstGroup Chairman Martin Gilbert stated, "We are absolutely committed to stamping out our anti-union behavior, and you have our commitment that we will do whatever is necessary to remain neutral as far as union membership is concerned."

But FirstGroup's track record in the United States raises big concerns. First Student managers have held captive audience meetings with workers, urging them to not support the union. In addition, workers in Illinois and other states report that they have no benefits such as paid sick leave or personal days, while their counterparts in the U.K. have those benefits plus health insurance and pensions.

"I call on FirstGroup to treat workers in the United States with the same respect it treats its U.K. workers," Durbin said. "FirstGroup needs to honor its chairman's public commitment of neutrality concerning union organizing."

FULL story at link.

[central scrutinizer]

1. great news, if true: "FirstGroup has a neutrality policy regarding union organizing."

Laidlaw runs the school buses in my district and they are scumbags who hired scabs about five years to break a union organizing effort.