Union Scores 5-Year Contract for STA School Bus Members
TWU Local 100 negotiators brought home a hard-fought five-year contract for 150 members at Student Transportation of America, Inc. (STA Greenwich) that features annual wage increases, important new guarantees on daily and weekly pay, and a host of benefit improvements. The agreement was reached on Nov. 15, 2018 after months of negotiations. Local 100 President Tony Utano joined the talks in the final hours in an effort to conclude the agreement.
President Utano praised the union committee for its “steadfast” efforts in reaching a negotiated settlement, including School Bus Division Chair Gus Moghrabi, Mary Pryce, Jamille Aine, John Zelinsky, Director of Organizing Frank McCann, and union attorney, Edward Kennedy. The proposed settlement increases pay by 3 percent in each year of the 5-year package. The first increase is retroactive to July 1, 2018. The compounding factor brings the actual total increase to nearly16 percent.
On guarantees – one of the primary focuses of the negotiations – Drivers and Monitors will now be paid their weekly picked run hours from the first scheduled day of school to the last actual day of school including all intervening school holidays, closures, scheduled or unscheduled vacations, unless the employee absents him/herself from work. The daily hourly guarantee goes from 5 hours per day to 5.3 hours per day (26.5 per week) in the 4th year of the agreement, and to 5.5 hours a day (27.5 weekly) in the 5th year of the contract. Currently, Drivers earn $29.16 per hour and Monitors earn $17.00 per hour. For the eight Spare Drivers and Monitors (a picked job), there will be an immediate increase in the guaranteed minimum hours to 7 hours per day or 35 hours per week.
The negotiating committee won increases in the Life Insurance Benefit for all employees, regardless of service time; a hike in the company matching contribution to a worker’s 401(k) plan, and an increase in the employer cap to both single and dependent health care coverage. Finally, the committee scored wins on years-of-service bonuses for all workers, and safety bonuses for Monitors. The package will be presented to the Local 100 Executive Board for approval and then be presented to the membership for ratification.
Photo: The union negotiating committee, from the left, include John Zelinsky, Jamille Aine, School Bus Division Chair Gus Moghrabi, Local 100 President Tony Utano and Mary Pryce.