Georgia Tech bus drivers demand justice

Photo: Al Viola

On Dec. 18, just before Christmas, 40 unionized shuttle bus drivers who transport Georgia Tech students, faculty and staff around the sprawling campus were notified they had lost their jobs. The prestigious university had awarded the contract to a new company, Groome Transportation, which was breaking precedent and not retaining the existing work force. Although the drivers had years of experience, the new company refused to even interview them for the openings. More than a year earlier, these men and women had voted unanimously to join Teamsters Local 728, making them the only unionized work force on the Tech campus. The recently hired new drivers are working for lower wages and without the benefits guaranteed in the union contract.

Determined to fight this union-busting move sanctioned by school officials, the drivers, dozens of other union members, Georgia Tech students and community groups have joined together for several protests and leafleting events at university offices and bus yards. The drivers and their families carried bright yellow signs, demanding “Justice for Georgia Tech Bus Drivers” in this year’s annual Martin Luther King Day march, bringing a message of workers’ rights to the day.