Big wins for bus drivers
By
Shane Summer
San Francisco
Published Apr 6, 2005 5:02 PM
When San Francisco
school-bus drivers, members of United Transportation Union Local 1741, learned
that the mechanics in their yard had set a strike date, they announced that they
would not cross the picket line. The drivers showed the power of union
solidarity by holding an informational picket line in support of the mechanics,
who are members of Machinists local 1414. Fighting increases in health-benefit
costs, as well as attacks on seniority rights, the mechanics had been working
without a contract for 18 months.
In response, the school district’s
department of transportation threatened to do away with guarantees that drivers
will receive prevailing wages and benefits no matter which company wins a bid to
provide busing services in San Francisco. That language has been part of their
contracts for the past 25 years. The contract was going out to bid in late
March.
“Some of us were scared,” a member of Local 1741 said.
“But we asked, are we going to be intimidated? Hell no!”
The
drivers’ union then held two more picket lines to show their resolve. One
Honduran driver told union members at a support meeting, “I have five
people depending on my income and I’m not crossing that picketline.”
The bus company, Laidlaw, caved in and gave the mechanics everything
they’d demanded.
Following that great victory, another struggle
ensued as the school district, true to its threat, removed protective language
that covered benefits in bid specifications that went out to prospective
contractors. The drivers of Local 1741 met that struggle as they had the other:
with unity, courage, and strength.
Fifty drivers marched into a board of
education meeting March 8 to protest. Several held up signs stating, “We
deserve health care.” Others spoke against the attacks on their benefits.
Within a week the board of education restored the protective language in the bid
specifications.
Articles copyright 1995-2012 Workers World.
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