I am a Durham School Service employee in Carpentersville,IL. Let me first give you a little of my history with this company. I was employed by a private school bus company (Jones) that had almost 800 employees in 11 facilities across NE Illinois and SE Wisconsin. The owners of that company were bought out by Durham in Nov. 2005. We thought this might be a great opportunity for us to advance in Durham, being they were at the time the third largest school bus transportation company in the US and operating in twenty one states.

But let me tell you about some of the things that have happened to us since that buyout. My group of forty two bus drivers and bus aides worked in a facility that only gave transportation to one special education school in our district. After three years of excellent service to this school under Jones, Durham decided to take the entire school district transportation bid which was being run by another company. Durham was successful in their bid and took over the entire district transportation in July of 2007.

There was at that time a previous “Association” that represented the almost two hundred twenty employees of that district. When our group of forty two heard some of the rumors that Durham was dealing with this “Association” and making sweetheart deals and pretty much leaving our group of forty two current Durham employees out of the loop, we decided to take action and called our local Teamster office for help. They were more than happy to come to our aide!

To make a long story short, we filed our petition with the Labor board in April 2007 to have an election and vote for our union of choice. Since then Durham and the former “Association” have done everything they can to delay our getting to an election and vote.

One protest after another and after ten months, we still have not had our election because of Durham and the “Associations” repeated attempts to squash our organizing efforts. I know that at some of the other 11 Jones facilities Durham took control of two years ago I have seen Durham cut wages, cut hours and cut routes. Lower starting wages and offer a health care plan that is an absolute joke.

I have been the lead organizer for our group of now two hundred fifty plus bus drivers and bus aides at our district and have rallied 80-85% support in our efforts to organize with the Teamsters. Although this has been a long tough battle with Durham and we have had one setback after another, I feel we still have the support needed when our election does come to send a clear message to Durham that; “WE WILL BE TEAMSTERS!!”

It amazes me how quick most are to piss and moan about how bad things are but, most are not willing to take a stand and fight for their rights! If we are to be successful in our efforts, we MUST remain STRONG and UNITED!!
As one of our bus drivers so eloquently put it: “We transport Americas most valuable commodity, school children!” It is time for the unorganized and unrepresented school bus worker across the country to get out from under the foot of corporate America and take back the power and control and the “RIGHT” to choice and decide our “OWN” future!!

Right now our biggest obsticale is the former "Associations" filing of an Unfair Labor Pratice charge against Durham for changing terms and conditions of a contract without negotiating. The employees were under a contract with the district prior to Durhams take over in July 2007. Durham hired the employees under different terms than they were under before. Although the "Association" still claims representation, we the employees are NOT interested in having them represent us again. We were not happy with them before, and are certainly not happy with them now! No one asked them to file this ULP for us and they have not bothered to correspond their intentions to us after 10 months. All they have done is hold us in limbo for possibly years till this ULP is resolved. Durham has repeatedly refused to negotiate with them. We as a group need to send a clear messege to the "Association" that we are NOT interested in their representation and ask they withdraw their ULP and allow us to proceed to an election. This gives US the RIGHT to choose and decide OUR Union of choice! Lets stand together people!

Well here we go again! Surprise Surprise!! I just recieved news from the former "Association" that Durham filed with the NLRB in Chicago a motion to postpone a hearing scheduled for March 31st, to resolve this ULP issue! Here is yet another attemp by Durham to prolong our suffering! It is time for the workforce to unite and think about some possible action against Durham! We need to let them know we are tired of playing their games and are NOT going to put up with this any longer!!

I am assuming that the "association" is another union?

Answer to the question is, Yes.

Well today was what I think a GREAT day for our group at C'Ville! We staged a picket and friendly demonstration in front of the school administration building today. We had about 30 employees walking out in front of the admin offices carrying signs that read;"Durham UNFAIR to employees"! We also had a reporter from 1 of the local papers out taking pictures and writing an article for the paper about our picket. I gave them a brief statement of why we were out doing this and how we(the employees)felt that Durham was being unfair. This definately got the attention of the people inside the office as I watched several people come out to see. I also watched as the assistant superintendent and several school board members drove by as we picketed! The school board was under the impression from Durham that we were 1 big happy family with no problems. This picket was to spread awareness to them that we are NOT happy as they have been led to believe! Maybe this will get some action from the board to get Durham to settle this ULP and we can proceed to an election finally! ! I also want to say a BIG THANK YOU to ALL who came out to support and walk the line today..you guys are AWESOME!!! If we continue to stand together and fight for our rights, good things WILL come our way!!! Thanks again to everyone!

The answer to your question Donna is yes,it is another union. They are the IEA(Illinois Education Association). The key word in the name being...Education! Their main purpose is to represent educators(teachers), not transportation workers. They claim to know more about representing school transportation workers than the Teamsters? HELLO??? And from what planet are these people comming from? The Teamsters are 1 of the forerunners of the organized labor movement. Yes the Teamsters have branched to represent other labor groups but, for most people the Teamsters have always ment transportation. Any job that involved driving where the tires touched the pavement, ment Teamsters! IEA needs to worry about EDUCATION and leave the driving to the professionals.....the TEAMSTERS!!!

Here is a link to the story run in the Daily Herald about our picket! Again to ALL that participated..THANK YOU!!!

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=136061&src=5

Teamsters Local 330 in Elgin,IL. were out in support of our drivers and took this video. Check it out! A BIG THANKS to 330 President Dominic Romanazzi,BA Jim Olszewski,IBT organizer Sherri Henry and Joint Council 25 Chicago organizer Mike Degrassi for their assistance and continued support!
Copy and paste link below to view:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0_x-GJ1dts

Great day. TONS of support from the Teamsters!!!! They say they can back us and help us in our misson to be United, We truley believe they can THANKX AGAIN.........

If anyone else from C'Ville drops by this site, say Hi! We need more of you to post if you feel comfortable so other school bus workers across the country can see they are not alone in the fight for their RIGHTS to organize! Remember:
Remain STRONG
Remain COMMITTED
Remain UNITED!!!

To all my fellow workers at C'Ville,
I know this has been a very long year and a very long wait for us to get organized. When we first filed our petition for an election almost one year ago, no one knew the kind of troubles we would go through just to get to that point. It has definitely been an uphill battle for us, first with Durham not playing fair and disobeying the law, but now the IEA in their relentless efforts to re-organize with the group and DENY us OUR RIGHT to vote and our FREEDOM OF CHOICE to decide for ourselves what we want! They seem satisfied to just sit on their hands and wait till the NLRB makes their ruling and decision regarding OUR jobs and futures! The IEA has done nothing for us in the past and have shown once again that, the decisions they are making supposedly in OUR best interests are only to benefit themselves! If we are to be successful in getting to an election we must ALL remember why we started this process to begin with. Some of us already knew what kind of company Durham was and, what kind of BS they would pull on their employees! Durham has already shown and made it clear that they don't care about us or what's best for us! If they cared at all for the employees that work for them, they would have obeyed the law and taken the settlement offer from the NLRB and negotiated or, ALLOWED us to have our election so that we would have had our vote. All Durham is concerned with is their bottom line, their profit margin and how much Exec. V.P. Robert Smith gets to stuff into his pocket! I am sure he got a nice bonus from corporate when he stymied the election by not negotiating! And as for the IEA, I can almost bet you that they are collaborating with Durham on this whole deal! Durham has made it clear they don't want a union, and they most certainly DO NOT want the Teamsters! They know the Teamsters will not lay down like an injured dog and let Durham walk all over them. The IEA on the other hand will, because they don't have the BALLS or the strength to fight against corporate America! So I am asking that we ALL remember WHY we started this campaign, why we continue this fight, and that we ALL stick TOGETHER in support! We can NOT allow Durham or the IEA to win this battle that we have fought so hard for, for almost one year!
Remain STRONG
Remain COMMITTED
Remain UNITED

In Solidarity,
Russ Harris

Russ Harris has been a tireless employee tyring to get all drivers in C'ville the right to vote for a union. I was a six year employee of the District Transportation Department that Durham now runs. The previous Association representing us has communicated with its members once in the 10 months since Durham took over- and this was in the past two weeks when pressure was applied by Russ and others for that Association to drop its action against Durham and to allow a vote of the current drivers for a union.

During the six years I gave my union dues to this association they were directly involved in costing me money over grievances I filed that were poorly represented by them without even the courtesy of involving me in their deliberations.

Now they want former drivers to support their efforts after 10 months of silence. All they are doing is assisting Durham stave off any unionization, perhaps for years. Of course, they fail to address that all of their former union management, except one, have either retired or now work for another school district in an IEA union. So much for their loyalty to us. They left us behind. I will quit rather than be represented by them again

I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK RUSS FOR STAYING BY ALL OF US AND STAYING ON TOP OF THIS ALL. I BELIEVE THE TEAMSTERS WILL BE A BETTER OPTION FOR ALL OF US THAN THE IEA. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING A BUS FOR 13 YEARS AND THE WHOLE TIME THE IEA HAS BEEN WITH DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION THEY DID NOT DO MUCH OF ANYTHING FOR US ALL. AND WHERE HAVE THEY BEEN SINCE DURHAM WAS BROUGHT IN TO RUN US INTILL RECENTLY I HAVE NOT RECEIVED MUCH OF ANYTHING FROM THEM.THAT IS BEING THERE FOR US IS IT. ALL I SEE IS THEY ARE JUST SITTING ON THERE HANDS AND WAITING AROUND FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO TELL THEM WHAT TO DO.

Why do we organize? Why do we organize with the Teamsters? There are MANY organized labor groups out there to choose from, lets take a look at some and see which would be the best for us.

IBEW-Electrical workers-nope that's not the one.
UA-Plumbers and Pipefitters- nope not that one.
BAC-Bricklayers and Craftsmen-not that one either.
IEA-Illinois Education Association-teachers-DEFINATELY NOT THIS ONE!!!!!
Teamsters-Transportation-yep that's the right one!!!

The fact is that when you think of the Teamsters you think of transportation. Teamsters have always been associated with transportation! Anything that involved driving where the tires touched the pavement meant Teamsters! So what better group is there to represent school bus drivers? None that I can see(especially the IEA-sorry personal gripe with them)! The reason we organize is to make a better life for ourselves and our families. We deserve decent wages, affordable health care, a voice in the workplace and above all RESPECT on the job! Without Teamster representation we are all at will employees at the mercy of corporate America!
With Teamster representation we get out from under the foot of corporate America,we take back the power and control and our RIGHT to choose and decide OUR OWN FUTURES!!
That's why we organize! That's why we organize with the Teamsters!!!!!!

In Solidarity,
Russ Harris

I read your posts this am. I went to search out information about your IEA and Durham Transportation. I looked on the IEA's web for information on school bus transportation. I found nothing. Nice representation. Seems like all they talk about is Teachers. Found a news blog about Rick Berman attacking teachers. I had found that on Rick Berman's website a few weeks back. He is a corporate person. He protects corporate interests against unions. Seems to me that this group may be too busy taking care of the teachers only and no one else especially if Rick Berman is involved.

Since you peaked my interests I also went to see about STA. They are the next up and coming bus company. They were just awarded a hugh contract in New Hampshire. They got the school district to supply the fuel. They are small but they are fiesty. Their upper people includes two former Laidlaw people, a financial person that had ties to Six Flags and Heinz Co. They will be swallowing up the rest of the mom and pop businesses over the next few years. If you search through these websites you will find their intentions for the future. They will make their stockholders happy. How about you? I think maybe we should all get together and buy stock in each company and use it for our retirement. What do you think? I think word should be passed along to all bus drivers that we all need a union, a good union that will represent us in the transportation business.

Have a good one.

First I want to say I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. Secondly I want to say that I hope that everyone I have been working with for the last 9 months stays committed to this campainge, we can not win this without that support. I know the road has been long and hard and very frustrating, but we all have to remember--even Rome was not built in a day!!! We must stand together in this journey. Durham and the IEA are hoping that this all falls apart in time, and if they put this off long enough we just won't care anymore. You all know who I am, and what I do. I have been screwed over many times by Durham and I promise you it will happen to you too!! It's all a matter of time. They already have plans in the works for next year to cut back on "The Budget". These cuts come in the form of cut hours, cut wadges, cutting routes or squeezing them so tight time wise they are almost impossible to run. I know we have all felt the broke down equipment squeeze and the we just don't have enough buses squeeze--well these are just the beginning!!! Please keep the momentum going and keep communicating with those who are not quite sure about this whole thing!!! These actions only serve to benifit us all and our futures and families!!!

Yes you are correct Donna as far as the IEA is concerned,NOT good representation! This is why we are fighting so hard to keep them from getting back in. Since Sept.2007 there had been NO communication with them what so ever until Feb. 29th ,2008 when they decided to send a letter out to all the employees.
Even with the big lapse in time between correspondence, to this day they have NEVER given ANY explanation of their past actions(which you will read next)! What they have done over the last 5 months is made 3 decisions regarding OUR jobs supposedly on OUR behalf,WITHOUT our knowledge!
First they rejected a "sweetheart" contract proposal from Durham WITHOUT even letting us know or see it and deciding if it was good or not. Then 1 1/2 weeks later they filed a ULP charge against Durham because they refused to negotiate in good faith(again WITHOUT the employees knowledge)! Then 1 month later in Oct., after the NLRB granted us an election and we were 2 weeks away from that date, the IEA filed yet another petition to stop the election(which by the way is postponed indefinitely) until the ULP charge is resolved! As I said before, ALL of these actions were done WITHOUT our knowledge! So now you can understand why the employees are angry and, DO NOT want them to represent us any longer! They have proven time and time again that they DO NOT have OUR best interests in their minds, only their own!
I do like your idea of buying stock in these private bus companies though, with the profits they are making each year I could probably retire early(since I am only 45)! LOL
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Donna!

In Solidarity,
Russ Harris

Russ,
Remember me THE TREE Elvis.
I just finished reading all the stories on Durham blog
for the first time,sorry to read it now for just the
first time.As you know we have a very large problem here
in Hodgkin's call First Group.It has been a battle for
10 months here. I know how you feel.One good thing,
most of you are united.Yes we have many here "I'll
wait and see what happens then they will make up my mind.They too still complain about work conditions.
Well all I can say "if you can't stand up for yourself
and your co-workers then stop all your bitching"
UNITE AND JOIN IS THE WAY.

GOOG LUCK DURHAM.YOU TO RUSS TEAMSTERS YOU WILL BE
MICHAEL PLUMTREE

Hello to all teamster brothers and sisters!
I have started an in-house workers blog page for our employees to speak their mind and voice their opinions about the problems in our workplace with Durham School Services. The problem we are facing right now is the former union that represented the school district employees before Durham took over. The former union, IEA-Illinois Education Association, is trying to force their way back into representing us through the use of an Unfair Labor Practice charge against Durham filed with the National Labor Relations Board. A hearing is scheduled May 12th in Chicago with the NLRB to determine if there is any validity to the charge. If the IEA is successful in their ULP charge, we the employees ALL stand to lose! Stay tuned for more updates! Please drop by our blog page if you'd like to send words of encouragement to our group!
Here is the link to our page:
http://durham-cville.blogspot.com/
Thank you all.

In Solidarity,
Russ Harris