Issue date: 1/15/08 Section: News

Georgia State bus drivers are organizing a campaign with local Teamsters to get union representation.

On Dec. 28, Teamster Local 728 filed for union representation through the National Labor Relations Board in Atlanta on behalf of several bus drivers throughout the area.

The shuttle workers are fed up with how poorly they are treated for the work they are doing.

"We don't get paid during the winter break," said Kathy Stafford, a GSU bus driver and the head organizer for the university's shuttle employees.

"Believe me, we want to get you all [students] to class on time."

Problems such as unfair wages and no pay during sick leave or holidays puts bus drivers at a serious disadvantage when it comes to supporting their families.

"It's hard around the holidays for us because we don't have a lot of money," said Stafford.

While most students complain about the quality and quantity available, they do not know or understand the conditions under which the bus drivers work.

Stafford said that bus drivers do not get bathroom or lunch breaks, which sometimes explains the delays.

It's hard for GSU to curtail these problems because the drivers are not employed with the university.

The university has a contract with First Transit, a subsidiary of First Union, one of the nation's largest providers of shuttle and charter bus service.

Georgia State, like most other universities, has a contract with First Transit to provide shuttle service to the university.

As a result, First Transit has jurisdiction over the bus drivers, not Georgia State.

If Georgia State shuttle employees are approved for union representation, then the next step is for them to vote on whether they want it.

"Workers want a living wage, paid sick days, paid holidays, more affordable health insurance and fair disciplinary procedures.," said Ben Speight, Teamsters Local 728 organizer.

According to Speight, 90 percent of bus drivers want union representation.

Teamsters is the largest labor union in the world, with over one million members.

Speight said that this is not the first time that First Transit employees have gotten union representation from teamsters.

In fact they have organized thousands of campaigns in almost every state in the last two years.

If the shuttle workers join Teamsters, then they can begin to negotiate terms in their contract such as wages, insurance and benefits.

Georgia State is one of four schools going through this.

Georgia Tech, Emory and Kennesaw State also have shuttle workers filing for Teamster representation.

Shuttle employees at Coke Headquarters, Georgia Power and other companies are also campaigning for a union.

Teamsters will learn the outcome of the Labor Relations Board in early February.

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