Last week the Chicago Tribune and the Teamsters wrote about a recent development with First Student, the largest private school bus company in North America.
The gist of the news is this: FirstStudent has hired an internal monitor in an effort to watch over the workers’ unionization effort; however they did so with no consultation from the Teamsters.
So, here is the first question: How can a company set up an Independent Monitor to make sure that there isn’t any interference in the worker’s deciding whether they want to be Teamsters or not, but not stipulate what the criteria for "interference" really is? If you think that is odd or happened to be as stumped there as me, then you’d agree that this question then begs another to be asked: How do you enforce a policy that was not yet written, reviewed or understood?
A Teamster organizer wrote to the School Bus Workers United site today saying, "First Student management and staff become resistant when they know the workers want to form a union in their location. The company's first tactic is to scare the hell out of workers by telling them things that are not true. As organizers, we hear what FS says to their employees because the workers come back and ask us if these things are true?" The organizer provided a Top 10 list of fact or fiction questions she hears on a daily basis, which I include at the bottom of this diary entry.
While the Teamster organizers get an ear-full from the workers validating fact or fiction, Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa expressed the Union’s disappointment with the company in a letter(<-PDF) to the chief executive officer last week, "One of our foremost concerns regarding the new Compliance Monitoring Programme is its lack of specificity regarding the neutrality policy it is intended to monitor and uphold. For the Programme to succeed in ensuring compliance with a particular policy there must be a clear definition of that policy." Seems like common sense to me.</p>
What many workers involved with this organizing campaign must realize is that 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." Then why didn’t Chairman Gilbert contact the Teamsters in setting up this Monitor Office? Then why is the Teamster organizer still receiving the same ol’ fact or fiction questions from the workers? Hmmm ... someone is telling a stinky lie here, not good.
President Hoffa stated in the letter, "The Compliance Monitoring Programme must include clear provisions regarding training plans, implementation processes, monitoring metrics, enforcement mechanisms, and how the process will be transparent to interested stakeholders."
It is for these reasons, and the aforementioned Top 10 list, that we are sending the following message to all the workers at FirstStudent, First Transit or at Former Laidlaw yards:
We strongly recommend you contact the Union if you are faced with any anti-union activity with this company and it is subsidiaries.
We do NOT think you should use this process without Teamster backing and assistance.
We believe you will need assistance in deciding whether it is better to use the internal company process or file an unfair labor practice case with the National Labor Relations Board.
Who to contact: Sean O’Neil at 202-437-5228
And now, as promised, here is a Top 10 List of First Student Scare Tactics told by the company or office staff in an ongoing effort to derail the Teamster organizing campaign. The comments in the parenthesis are those of the Teamster Organizer, who was kind enough to share this stuff with us.
- Your going to lose your bonus. (Many locations don't even get a bonus and it is something that can be negotiated!)
- You will lose your seniority. (Oh that is scary since it is usually not followed anyway!)
- You are going to lose everything you have. (And that would be.....?)
- Management and staff are going to lose their jobs. (Organizing is not something against local management)
- We don't have to negotiate a contract. (If you don't want the NLRB breathing down your neck you will)
- Your initiation fees will be $800 per year. (Newly organized groups pay no initiation fees and those who come after the contract has been ratified to pay a small initiation fee which is usually broken down and paid over a few pay periods)
- Your going to pay tens of thousands of $$$ in dues. (Dues are 2 and 1/2 times your hourly salary when you make over $11 per hr and 2 times your hourly salary when under. Example: You make $12 an hr X's 2 = 24, half of 12 is 6 for a total of $30 per month)
- You are going to start paying dues right after the vote. (There are no dues until you have a signed and ratified contract, which is voted on by the group)
- Your going to lose your park outs (Without a union contact FS could take them away today. This would be something to have put in a union contract to protect those who park their buses at home or closer to their home)
And the number 1 reason First Student tells their employees so they won't form a union is...........
- If the Teamsters are voted in we are going to leave town. (What they should say is: If FS doesn't fulfill their contract properly with the district they will be ran out of town, which has happened in several locations across the country. It had nothing to do with the employees forming a union. It had to do with poor service by FS Company and Management)
In the end, if you or anyone you know is a FirstStudent driver, mechanic or an aide, please help the Teamsters by passing this Diary Entry over to them. If you have your own diaries and blogs and find yourselves with a fantastic bout of writer’s block, feel free to write about this issue with us. We strongly believe that the more that folks are aware of this campaign, the better chance the workers will have getting the representation that they deserve.