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First Student School Bus Drivers Join Teamsters Local 633

Posted on: Tuesday, 21 April 2009, 14:21 CDT

Exeter, New Hampshire Drivers Gain Voice in the Workplace

WASHINGTON, April 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- First Student school bus drivers in Exeter, New Hampshire, have voted to join Teamsters Local 633, seeking affordable health insurance, respect and fairness in their workplace. There are 103 workers in the bargaining unit.

"We need better health insurance, to get rid of the favoritism and to be respected," said Kelly Almon, a four-year driver. "We are a good team and worked hard together to become Teamsters."

"We had a strong, loud 'yes' to the union," said driver Cheryl Goudreault, of the nearly 2 to 1 margin of support for Teamster representation. "Having this union has brought us all together."

The drivers, who service multiple schools in New Hampshire's SAU 16 district, are now looking forward to negotiations on a contract that will make a positive difference in their working conditions.

"We welcome these newest Teamsters to the Local 633 family. We are excited to have the opportunity to work for them, and to help them achieve what we have been successful in achieving for almost 500 other First Student members throughout New Hampshire, and thousands more all over New England," said David W. Laughton, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 633 in Manchester and President of Teamsters Joint Council 10.

This 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 16,900 drivers, monitors, aides, mechanics and attendants have become Teamsters.

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

Source: PR Newswire

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