A Story Of Courage and Determination

By Shelley Goodman, Teamster organizer and former Durham driver

On October 29, International Union organizers involved in the Champlin, Minnesota election witnessed the strength of a terminally ill First Student school bus driver. They saw a man with a strong will to find a way.

Months prior to the election in Champlin, Steve’s diagnosis was very dim and his future even dimmer. He was given months to live and found his time on earth was being cut short by the word everyone dreads to hear: “cancer”. His life was in its 53rd year and he would be leaving behind his children, other family members and his co-workers at the Brooklyn Park – Champlin First Student yard.

As the campaign rolled along, Steve had to be informed by his fellow co-workers of the progress being made to unionize. Steve was very in favor of helping his co-workers vote the Teamsters Union into the workplace. He realized it would never affect him, but it would all of his fellow drivers he had driven with for several years. Steve felt this was the best thing his co-workers could do and he wanted to be a part of it.

Having been left on a medical leave by First Student, even after they were told by Steve of his prognosis, his name appeared on the Excelsior list which is given to the NLRB from the company. The International Union organizer recognized this and the organizing committee (OC) decided to call and see if Steve would be up to signing the infamous Vote Yes Petition (VYP), which was to come out the afternoon before the election.

Steve told the OC member to come on over; he was unable to get up to answer the door, but the garage door would be open and they could enter through it. Steve then instructed them to come down the hall to his bedroom.

There they found Steve, a very thin and seemingly weak man, who but months before was a healthy, strong driver. As he signed his name proudly to the VYP, the organizer asked if he would be in need of transportation to the polling place. But Steve told his co-worker and the organizer he had already arranged for his son to bring him to the election. He told them when he would arrive and said he was looking forward to getting out.

The day of the vote came and the weather brought a steady cold rain. As the clock approached 10 a.m., Steve's son drove up with his father inside. His son unloaded his father’s wheel chair and proceeded to roll him through the rain and into the bus garage area where the voting was being held. After casting his ballot to help support his co-workers, Steve picked up his “Wheels on the Bus” t-shirt that he had requested when he signed the VYP days earlier.

The strength in this man will live in our hearts forever - a man whose life was being surrendered much too soon and who was determined to support the Teamsters campaign in order to help his co-workers gain a voice and respect that was much overdue. Steve could have given a thousand reasons why he couldn’t get out the vote, but he didn’t.

When the time comes and you're going through the election process and explaining to workers or co-workers the importance of signing the VYP or getting to the polls, tell them there is no excuse. If a man in Steve’s condition was willing to sacrifice to take part in supporting his campaign-everyone should. Where there’s a will, there’s a way and Steve’s story proves it!