National Labor Relations Board intervenes on behalf of low-wage bus employees, orders school district contractor to pay restitution for unlawful intimidation and wage theft
LEDYARD – Efforts to hold Student Transportation of America (STA) accountable for unlawful abuse of their Ledyard school bus drivers have been upheld by a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) administrative law judge. In a ruling last week, Judge Robert A. Ringler ordered STA to pay back wages to employees whose salary increases the company withheld in an act of clear intimidation. The judge also directed STA to post public notice in the workplace acknowledging their violations and accepting responsibility to respect their employees' rights to legal union activity and promised wages.
"As important as it is to get back-pay and respect, it's just as important for STA to admit publicly that they broke the law," said Kristen LaJoie, a school bus driver based at the company's Ledyard yard. "We know that they know they cannot discriminate against us now for wanting a union and voting for it," said LaJoie, a member of the organizing committee that coordinated the drive to unite her co-workers in CSEA/SEIU Local 2001 last year.
The ruling issued March 30 found that STA had withheld salary increases in order to intimidate bus drivers engaged in legal union activities. The judge's order comes as a welcome step toward greater corporate accountability and ultimately improved student transportation services for school children and their families in Ledyard.
The judge's decision follows a settlement last month involving a school bus driver fired by STA for engaging in legally protected activities. CSEA/SEIU Local 2001 took action and filed charges last June on behalf of Donna Taylor, a veteran school bus driver with 11 years of experience serving the community. After months of investigation, the NRLB reached a settlement with STA on March 7 that reinstated Taylor's job and paid her $10,000 in lost wages and restitution.
These rulings together represent a clear rebuke to STA for longstanding abuses of its school bus drivers in the region. The company terminated its director of operations for Connecticut and replaced their legal counsel shortly before last week's NLRB decision, demonstrating that its corporate headquarters understands it must change direction.
"STA's school bus drivers are looking forward to a very different kind of relationship with their employer," said Kevin Mercik, Union Staff Representative with CSEA/SEIU Local 2001. "The company has already made positive changes. That bodes well for reaching a mutual agreement on a new contract for the drivers we represent in both Ledyard and New London," Mercik said.
CSEA/SEIU Local 2001's nearly 25,000 members are retired and active public sector workers in state, municipal, and local schools' agencies across Connecticut, as well as workers employed by non-profit organizations and private companies contracted to provide public services. Visit www.seiu2001.org online for more information about the Union's efforts to "Drive Up Standards" in the student transportation industry.
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National Labor Relations Board March 30 Decision on Anti-Union Activity and Wage Theft
National Labor Relations Board March 7 Settlement on Wrongful Discharge (includes ordered workplace notice)