Nearly 200 Western New York School Bus Drivers & Monitors

May 30, 2016 
By WNYLaborToday.com Editor-Publisher Tom Campbell   

Lockport, NY – School Bus Drivers and Monitors at STA/Ridge Road Express, who transport students for the Lockport City School District and Starpoint Central School District in Niagara County, overcame tough opposition from management to join the Teamsters Union. 

The nearly 200 School Bus Workers voted decisively in favor of Teamsters Local 449 in Buffalo, calling for improved working conditions and wages, respect on the job and assurances that they will be paid for all hours worked. 

“We ‘stood strong’ to ‘exercise our Union Rights’ and ‘win’ Teamster representation.  We are looking forward to negotiating a contract that will ‘ensure’ better pay, ‘safer’ equipment and ‘improved’ working conditions,” said Lisa Szpakowski, a 16-year Driver with the Lockport School District. “We ‘hope to win respect’ from management and ‘develop a strong working relationship’ with the company.”

The victory in Lockport marks just the latest group of Workers who’ve been successful in their organizing efforts at STA, the third-largest school bus operator in the country. To read more click on the following link