Stonington bus drivers will hold vote on union
Stonington - The bus drivers who work for the company that services the school system will vote Dec. 3 on whether or not to form a union.
Fifty-one percent of the estimated 35 drivers that work at the Pawcatuck yard of First Student Transportation would have to support the union for it to be established.
Driver Tiffany Walsh, who has led the union effort, said Tuesday she expects it to be a close vote because local management and anti-union drivers have been speading misinformation and warning drivers that they will lose their jobs if its is approved.
The union vote will not affect the cost of bus transportation for the town as the school system is currently in the second year of a five-year contract with First Student, which does not expire until 2018.
Some drivers are seeking to join Teamsters Local 493 in Uncasville not just to obtain higher pay and benefits, but also to help them address what they call long-standing "fairness" issues with the manager of the Pawcatuck yard, according to Walsh.
"The main concern is that things are done fairly and we are fairly treated," she said. "We'll have a voice if there is a problem. The union will represent us."
Walsh, who has worked for First Student for the past eight years, said she was recently informed by the company that, as of Tuesday, she would be out of a job if she did not accept a transfer to its Norwich or East Lyme locations because of a complaint about her from the Stonington school system.
Walsh, who is widowed and lives in Pawcatuck with her three school-aged children, said she is unable to accept a transfer because of her family situation.
According to the letter she received from First Student, the school system does not want her driving Stonington students because of an alleged incident last month in which the bus company accused Walsh of saying she would cut the brake lines of buses if drivers did not approve the union.
Walsh denies the allegation and police said Tuesday they investigated and could not substantiate the allegations. In addition, First Student told Walsh in the letter that it would not proceed with disciplining her over the allegation. Walsh said she has filed a complaint about the matter with the National Labor Relations Board.
"People here are scared now. They're saying, 'look what they did to Tiffany,'" she said.
Mary Ribeiro, who manages the Pawcatuck yard, referred comment to First Student's media relations office, which did not return a phone call on Tuesday. Superintendent of Schools Van Riley could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Teamsters' local official Tom Schlink, who is working with the drivers, said many First Student locations have unions, including those in Norwich, Lisbon, Sprague and Bozrah.
He said First Student drivers in Stonington earn about $3 less than those in the company's other locations. He said employees get one paid holiday compared to seven in unionized yards, and there are no longevity bonuses. He added there are also no written provisions for items such as funeral leaves and jury duty, which are left up to the yard manager to decide.
Walsh said there are no provisions for sick days or family leave and drivers are not paid extra for overtime.
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