New Hampshire School Bus Workers Choose Teamsters Union

First Student Workers Across the State Unite with Teamsters Local 633

WASHINGTON, April 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- After a week-long sprint that included five elections covering 16 bargaining units, First Student workers throughout New Hampshire have voted to join Teamsters Local 633 in Manchester. The mechanics, dispatchers and clerks throughout all of the New Hampshire-based First Student locations that are represented by Local 633 have become the area's newest Teamsters.

(Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100127/IBTLOGO )

"We are thrilled to now have wall-to-wall Teamster representation in these locations throughout New Hampshire. We will now look to provide the topnotch representation and contract protections that all of our Local 633 First Student members enjoy," said David W. Laughton, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 633 and Joint Council 10.

Most of these new Teamsters have not had a wage increase in three years, while they've experienced a cut to their bonuses and significantly reduced benefits. These conditions sent the workers looking for job security and the protection of a strong Teamster contract.

"We covered a lot of territory during this election, and in the process we made strong, enduring relationships, certainly people we can now consider as friends. This group has already started spreading the word about the feelings of security that come from being a part of the 1.4 million member Teamster family," said Robin Loder, a Local 633 project organizer.

Because of the number of locations and wide geography that these elections covered, it required a cooperative effort between the local union and Joint Council organizers.

"This election shows how, through information sharing and cooperation from multiple agencies, we can make significant inroads in our organizing campaigns. This truly is not possible without the commitment of unity and solidarity from these brave men and women," said Roger Travers, Joint Council 10 organizer. "Joint Council 10 is always willing to help improve the lives of working families in New Hampshire and throughout New England."

The victory is the latest in an effort to organize private school bus and transit workers across the country. Drive Up Standards is a national campaign to improve safety, service and work standards in the private school bus and transit industry. Since the campaign began in 2006, more than 26,600 drivers, monitors, aides, mechanics and attendants have become Teamsters.

For more information on the Drive Up Standards campaign, go to: www.schoolbusworkersunited.org

Teamsters Local 633 represents 4,000 working families. Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters