Bus drivers and monitors employed in Hudson with First Student, an Ohio-based provider of school bus services, have voted to join Teamsters Local 170, a Worcester-based union.
A total of 29 bus workers who provide transportation for Hudson Public Schools are now a part of Local 170, according to a Wednesday press release issued by the union.
“Local 170 is proud to welcome the hardworking men and women at First Student in Hudson to the Teamsters,” Shannon George, secretary-treasurer of Local 170, said in the press release. “These workers play a pivotal role in the Hudson community, and we look forward to getting to work on an industry-leading supplemental agreement for them.”
The vote means the Hudson-based workers are covered under First Student National Master Agreement, which Teamsters 170 says is the largest collective bargaining agreement involving any private school bus company in the United States.
“Having union representation in this industry is critical to ensuring we have fair working conditions and a voice on the job,” John Flinkfelt, a bus driver and trainer at First Student in Hudson, said in the release. “My co-workers and I are thrilled to be Teamsters, and I am grateful to my colleagues Lisa Montague and Robert Marchand who were a big help in organizing our yard.”
Representing workers across a number of industries, Teamsters Local 170 has been in operation since 1933.
