School Bus Contracts Await Teamster Drivers

Union Opportunities Increase as Higher Safety
Standards Improve

New contract opportunities await Teamster school bus drivers now that Gov. Pat Quinn has signed an amendment to the Illinois School Code into law.

After overwhelmingly passing both houses of the Illinois General Assembly, House Bill 2362 became a public act on August 13, officially excluding school transportation contracts involving special needs children from lowest bidder requirements.

“Illinois has historically been a low-bid state where transportation contracts regularly change hands by companies looking to pay the lowest wage possible,” said John T. Coli, President of Teamsters Joint Council 25. “The new amendment will bring much needed stability to the industry.”

The School Code amendment stipulates that select schools must consider bids for drivers most able to provide safety for students with special needs or disabilities. Quality of service and student comfort must now be considered before cost. Joint Council 25 lobbyists assisted in efforts to initiate the legislation and lobbied for its passage throughout the spring legislative session.

“This legislation will make certain drivers who are expected to perform their duties with the utmost expertise are not getting paid less to do so,” said James T. Glimco, President of Teamsters Local 777, which represents more than 700 Teamster bus drivers.

“Children get attached to their school bus drivers,” Glimco added, “and those relationships should not be jeopardized to save money.”

Teamsters Joint Council 25 represents school bus drivers throughout Illinois, including approximately 100 drivers with Teamsters Local 673, approximately 700 with Teamsters Local 179 and approximately 360 with Teamsters Local 330.

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