JOLIET -- First Student employees voted Friday to join Teamsters Local 179.

"We did a good job -- we won," said Tom Flynn, the union's organizer.

Flynn said the vote is part of a nationwide campaign by the Teamsters to unionize First Student bus drivers and bus monitors.

Friday's vote was 241 to 131, he reported. The union will cover about 450 employees.

Flynn said he was given the go-ahead earlier this year by local President Tom White to contact the First Student employees who serve the Joliet and Plainfield school districts. The company has been targeted, Flynn said, because it offers its workers poor wages and no retirement benefits, insurance, sick days or holiday pay.

Also, the company considers all employees part time no matter what hours they work, Flynn said.
Freedom of association
First Student spokeswoman Kimberly Mulcahy said the company recognizes the hard work and dedication its employees bring to their jobs.

"We value their contribution to our company and to providing safe transport of students to and from school each day," she said. "Our freedom of association policy supports the individual rights of employees to choose whether or not they want to join a labor organization."

Flynn said the company fought unionization aggressively when the Teamsters tried to organize First Student employees in Crest Hill three years ago. But the freedom of association policy has helped the union get its foot in the door, he said.

In the past 18 months, about 8,000 First Student employees have opted to join the Teamsters.

"There are a lot of 'wins' going on around the country," Flynn said.
Next stop: Naperville
Flynn said he contacted Joliet and Plainfield First Student workers in February because he wanted to get a vote in before school ended for the summer.

The labor board will certify the vote seven days after the election. Flynn said he would then meet with employees to find out what they want in a contract. He predicted a contract wouldn't come until perhaps the end of next school year.

Now that the Joliet-Plainfield vote is over, Flynn said he plans to contact First Student employees who serve Naperville's school district.

Teamsters Local 179 covers a seven-county area including Will, Grundy, Kendall and Kankakee counties.

• Area bus drivers vote to join union :: Herald News :: Business