Teamsters Union authorizes strike against First Student ahead of contract deadline

(WAND) — Teamsters school bus workers at First Student, Inc. across the country voted to authorize a strike Wednesday if the union fails to reach an agreement with First Student before the end of the month.

First Student is the largest private school bus company in the United States. The company has around 47,000 vehicles and 63,000 employees across over 500 locations in the U.S. and Canada.

There are several First Student locations across central Illinois, including in Springfield, Urbana and Danville.

According to the Teamsters Union, workers voted by an 88% margin to authorize a strike "should the company fail to negotiate a fair contract."

The current contract, set to expire on March 31, covers over 17,000 members represented by 96 Teamsters locals.

"The Teamsters Union has been consistently raising the standards within the school bus industry for decades, and this contract will be no different," said Matt Taibi, director of the Teamsters Passenger Transportation Division. "These essential workers deserve nothing less than a contract that reflects the devotion and skill they put into their jobs every day. First Student is trying to cut costs by refusing to offer health care or retirement benefits to all of our members and we will not stand for it."

The Teamsters Union said outstanding issues in negotiations include retirement security, health care, minimum standards for guaranteed hours, and paid time off.

The Teamsters have also filed an unfair labor practice charge against First Student related to the negotiations, according to the union.

"These are not difficult asks — we are fighting for a contract that provides basic benefits many bus workers across the country have," said Jean Auguste, bus worker and member of Teamsters Local 251. "We don't want to strike, but we will if the company doesn't come to terms on a fair agreement."

The Teamsters Union said it had bargaining scheduled for March 30 and 31, but that First Student "effectively canceled those negotiations to pursue frivolous litigation."

First Student told WAND News that it will "remain focused" on reaching a fair agreement, and sent the following statement:

"First Student remains committed and fully engaged in good-faith negotiations with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters toward a new National Master First Student Agreement.
It is important to clarify that we did not cancel any negotiations whatsoever, in fact, we have been and continue to be ready, willing, and able to meet at any time to get back to the bargaining table. Nor have we done anything to try and reduce driver wages or hours.
We are disappointed that the Union’s leadership has threatened this unnecessary and impermissible measure.
First Student remains committed to preserving the local approach to bargaining, ensuring First Student employees at each location continue to have a meaningful voice in the issues that matter most, within the broad national standards."