A Teamster Driver’s Story

Dear First Student Coworkers:

My name is Billee Hawkins and I’m a driver at First Student in Pontiac, Michigan. I’m now serving as shop steward, so I know very well the benefits of forming a union.

Before we formed our union, we had no real power or say in our jobs. Management ruled and we had to follow. Not anymore.

Now that we have a union we are able to bargain for improvements.

Each contract is different, and our contract reflects what we felt were our priorities.

Here are the major achievements we are most proud of:

Wages— We secured a progressive wage scale with regular raises. We have drivers who are making up to $19.85/hr. They are some of the highest paid First Student drivers out there.

Health Insurance— The company covers nearly 90 percent of costs. Our insurance includes medical, dental AND prescription. We have no limits on doctor’s visits.

Holidays— We get five paid holidays. We have added more holidays with each contract we negotiate.

These are just some of the many improvements we have made. We also have a feeling of security and protection knowing we have a strong union. I cannot tell you how many workers’ jobs I have saved as shop steward. In once case, First Student wanted to terminate one of our drivers for one backup accident, even though she had a good driving record overall. I went to bat with the company and she kept her job.

The power of our union has kept management in line.

We were once in the same position as you are. We now have the respect we deserve—the respect that ALL First Student workers deserve. Remember to stand strong and never back down. You can always make a change for the better with your union behind you.

Sincerely,

Billee Hawkins