Durham Workers Choose Teamsters Union (260 workers voting by a near 2 to 1 margin)

[Omaha Steve]

http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-27-2009/0004961360&EDATE=

School Bus Workers Persevere, Win Long-Fought Battle for Representation

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- School bus drivers, aides and mechanics with Durham School Services in Elgin, Illinois, have taken a major step toward gaining fair treatment and respect on the job, voting by a near 2 to 1 margin to join Teamsters Local 330. With this victory, the workers celebrate the culmination of more than two years of hard work to join the Teamsters, efforts which were impeded along the way by legal action and attempts by the company to keep the 260 workers from gaining representation.

"We have never been more ready for this. It was a long road, but this was the ray of sunshine at the end of it," said Kim Wrightson, a Durham driver in Elgin. "I'm looking forward to a more tranquil workplace, with less friction, as well as more job security and work rules that are followed."

The Durham workers were tireless in their efforts to become Teamster members. They persevered against intense efforts by the company to obstruct their freedom of association. The workers' rights were repeatedly violated through captive audience meetings and the distribution of anti-union materials by Durham, the North American subsidiary of National Express Group, a transportation company based in the United Kingdom.

"When Durham came in, all the benefits we previously had were taken away," said Russ Harris, a former driver with Durham who started a previous campaign to form a union with the Teamsters in Elgin. Harris recently gave up a well-paying Teamster job, and worked on his own time to complete his mission -- to improve the lives of his friends and former coworkers by helping them gain Teamster representation.

"I told them before that I was leaving Durham, but not leaving them. I would be there when the time came to help them make a better life for themselves," Harris said.

According to Dominic Romanazzi, President of Local 330, due in great part to the company's delay tactics, it took nearly two years for the workers to get to an election and eventually vote 149-83 in favor of Teamster representation.

FULL story at link.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. GREAT!!!!

The unions are making a comeback in America, and that's going to be good for the workers. I come from a union family, and I am thrilled to see this happening.

Way to go, DURHAM WORKERS!!!

[xchrom]

2. ...

:applause: