WASHINGTON — More than three years after Durham School Services bus drivers and monitors voted for union representation in Santa Rosa County, Teamsters Local 991 announced the company has agreed to meet at the bargaining table beginning July 12.
The announcement comes less than a month after the U.S. Court of Appeals denied Durham’s appeal to contest certification of the workers’ 2013 election for representation by Teamsters Local 991 in Mobile, Ala.
“We are elated to finally be on our way to negotiating the protections and safety provisions that school bus workers have long needed in Santa Rosa,” said Sue Butts, a 16-year school bus driver who has been working alongside Local 991 to win union recognition from Durham. “There is a lot of work still ahead of us, but I am hopeful the company will respect our concerns and negotiate a fair contract.”
Approximately 200 school bus workers in the unit voted in favor of joining Teamsters Local 991 in February 2013. Durham is the second-largest school bus company in the United States and a subsidiary of National Express Group PLC, a United Kingdom-based multinational transportation company.
Local 991 is preparing to begin the negotiation process, according to Jim Gookins, Teamsters Local 991 secretary-treasurer, who said the union has set dates to meet with workers to discuss proposals seeking improvements to safety and working conditions.
“We always knew that a huge company like Durham could afford to do better,” said Kim McLaughlin, a 28-year school bus driver for Santa Rosa County. “We expect management to follow through on their word and negotiate a contract that will raise standards for workers and the students we transport.”
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Teamsters to begin contract negotiations for Santa Rosa County school bus workers