Coalition for Quality Student Transportation

02/08/2022

A big win for Local 328 members employed at Durham School Services! UFCW Local 328 joined representatives from the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training on Monday, February 7th to distribute checks of unpaid Sunday and holiday time and a half pay to school bus drivers, monitors and aides employed at Durham School Services in Cumberland, Rhode Island.

When workers began organizing with our union, we learned that the company had not been adhering to state laws regarding premium pay on Sundays and holidays. We filed a complaint with the RI DLT to secure backpay for the workers. After an investigation, the DLT determined that the company should have been paying this benefit to employees and calculated the money owed. Today, we joined the DLT to distribute that money back to workers. The amount of back pay totaled $26,515.39! Congratulations to the workers at Durham School Services on this victory!

07/13/2021

Excellent news! We would like to thank Val Lawson for State Senate - District 14 East Providence and Gregg Amore for State Representative for championing this important legislation that will benefit both school transportation workers and the communities they work hard to serve.

Timothy Melia, President of UFCW Local 328, applauded the passage of H6118/S635 by stating, ”This legislation will improve the quality and retention of drivers throughout the state of Rhode Island who transport our children on a daily bases. With the mandatory 180 days of pay and the prevailing wage provision, these are no longer just transient temporary jobs, but rather, permanent well-paying jobs. This is not only good for the students and the school districts that they transport for, but good for our community as a whole.”

(PROVIDENCE, R.I.) – The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 328 applauds the approval of H6118/S635 by the General Assembly and its passage into law with the signature of Governor Dan McKee. …

06/29/2021

Join us in congratulating the dedicated school bus drivers and Local 328 members at both Five Star Transportation in Dennis, Yarmouth and First Student in Middleborough, Massachusetts for unanimously voting to ratify their new agreements! The new contracts guarantee wage increases, adds additional paid holidays, improves bereavement leave, secures greater retirement benefits, and improves annual safety and recruitment bonuses. The Dennis/Yarmouth agreement was ratified with a 23-0 vote and the Middleboro agreement was ratified with a 19-0 vote. Union Yes!

04/01/2021

Congratulations to the hardworking bus drivers, monitors and aides at Durham School Services in Cumberland, RI! Last week, they voted overwhelmingly to approve their first agreement. Welcome to our union family!

Cumberland, RI – On Wednesday, March 24th, the hardworking bus drivers, monitors and aides employed at Durham Bus Services in Cumberland, Rhode Island, voted overwhelmingly to ratify their first co…

03/08/2021

We are proud to announce that we have reached a tentative agreement with Durham School Services on behalf of the over 100 hardworking school transportation workers who service Cumberland Public Schools, Blackstone Valley Prep and Providence Mayoral Academy!

These workers showed incredible solidarity, support and resilience throughout these first contract negotiations and made this agreement happen by sticking together. We want to thank the community for standing with and showing support for all of the workers at Durham!

08/18/2020

The school bus drivers and monitors who service Cumberland Public Schools, Blackstone Valley Prep and Providence Mayoral Academy are demanding safe and reliable transportation for Rhode Island families.

Call or email your local school officials and demand that Durham School Services put student safety and staffing first.

Cumberland School Department: 401-658-1600 Extension #8
or email: [email protected]
Blackstone Valley Prep: email: [email protected]
Achievement First Providence Mayoral Academy: (401) 347-1106 Extension #0 or email: [email protected]

08/15/2020

Which steps are most important for you and your families to ensure safe school transportation? Please take a quick moment to take our survey. Your voice matters! To complete the survey, visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GK7K9BG

Thank you!

08/06/2020

Wow, over 300 signatures so far! Thank you all for your continued support! Included in those who signed are Val Lawson for State Senate - District 14 East Providence and State Representative Jim McLaughlin. Thank you! To sign in support of the bus drivers, monitors and aides at Durham School Services who are standing together for safety, reliable service and a better future at Durham, please visit: https://www.change.org/p/durham-school-services-support-the-bus-drivers-monitors-and-aides-at-durham-school-services-in-cumberland-ri

07/31/2020

On Thursday, July 30th, bus drivers and monitors employed by Durham School Services located in Cumberland, Rhode Island, held a socially-distanced rally for safety and a fair contract. After 10 months, only 8 negotiation sessions (including virtual meetings) and 12 cancellations by their company, these essential transportation employees sent a message loud and clear to their company: it's time to do what's right for your workers and our communities. No more stalling. The company's refusal to negotiate in the month of July and presently agreeing to only one scheduled meeting in August is unacceptable. Durham School Services needs to respond to this moment in time with a sense of urgency that Rhode Island families deserve.

Please show your support for these workers by signing our petition:https://www.change.org/p/durham-school-services-support-the-bus-drivers-monitors-and-aides-at-durham-school-services-in-cumberland-ri

We would like to thank Representative James N. McLaughlin, Val Lawson for State Senate - District 14 East Providence, Tom Kane, the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, General Teamsters Local 251, SEIU District 1199 New England and National Education Association RI (NEARI) for attending the rally to show their support yesterday.

07/27/2020

Join us this Thursday at 2:00pm at Cumberland Public High School for a socially-distanced rally as we call on Durham School Services to do what’s right for Rhode Island families. Despite the urgent need to address serious concerns which impact both safety and service for school transportation employees and our communities, Durham has refused to meet through virtual meetings the entire month of July and has only agreed to one date on August 4th.

We are calling on the company to act with a sense of urgency that this moment and our communities deserve.

For more information and to show support for the school transportation employees at Durham, please visit: https://www.change.org/p/durham-school-services-support-the-bus-drivers-monitors-and-aides-at-durham-school-services-in-cumberland-ri

07/24/2020

We would like to thank the elected officials in Cumberland, Rhode Island, for standing up for safe and reliable school transportation and for urging Durham School Services to do what's right for their workers and our communities. Safe schools includes safe transportation. We appreciate the outreach by our elected officials and also want to thank everyone who has offered their support as well.

If you haven't yet signed our petition, you can sign by visiting: https://www.change.org/p/durham-school-services-support-the-bus-drivers-monitors-and-aides-at-durham-school-services-in-cumberland-ri

We appreciate your support!

(the letter is displayed at the bottom of the page) After months of Durham School Service failing to address critical concerns of their employees, elected officials in Cumberland, Rhode Island, cal…

07/22/2020

School transportation employees at Durham School Services located in Cumberland, Rhode Island, joined Labor Vision to discuss the importance of safe school transportation and how Durham is disappointingly not responding to important and urgent concerns which impact both safety and service for our communities. To watch the interview, visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7OnoRx9GkA

Please show your support for these workers who are standing up for safe and reliable school transportation by signing their petition: https://www.change.org/p/durham-school-services-support-the-bus-drivers-monitors-and-aides-at-durham-school-services-in-cumberland-ri

As discussions continue about how to safely reopen schools, it's more important than ever that Durham prioritizes the concerns of their employees and our communities. We appreciate your support!

“As far as the disrespect that is happening with the company as far as not sitting down to negotiate, it’s not just the drivers and monitors that are being disrespected, but it’s the families, it’s the parents, it’s the children because that’s what this is all about. This is all about – we drive the most precious cargo in the world which is the kids and this is what it’s about. It’s about getting the kids to and from school safely”- Patricia St. Pierre, Bus Driver and Trainer

“The most enjoyable part of being a school bus driver is the interaction with the students and the parents, getting to see a child that is starting in kindergarten and seeing them up to the point of where they are graduating high school. I mean, that relationship is wonderful, it’s very rewarding. And to be distracted from doing that because your company is lacking support for you – it’s very frustrating. We do this because we enjoy it and we love working with the kids and the parents and serving our community”- Vincent Auger, Bus Driver

“The monitors right now, we get paid $11.22/hr. There’s a lot of monitors who have many years here and they are paid the same as a monitor coming in the door. Some people are leaving to First Student, other bus yards where they are getting paid more. Sometimes buses are without monitors. So for the monitors, (low wages) it affects us a lot. Also, the drivers as well because some runs they have to double up. We definitely have a shortage of drivers and monitors at Durham”- Ashley Cox, Bus Monitor

Cumberland School Department Blackstone Valley Prep Achievement First Providence Mayoral Academy

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