Feb 2, 2014
Dorchester, Massachusetts: Solidarity Day 2 rally for Boston School Bus Drivers Union - Steelworkers Local 8751. Stop Veolia union-busting, re-hire the fired leaders! February 1, 2014.
Photos by Brenda Sandburg
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Dorchester, Massachusetts: Solidarity Day 2 rally for Boston School Bus Drivers Union - Steelworkers Local 8751. Stop Veolia union-busting, re-hire the fired leaders! February 1, 2014.
Photos by Brenda Sandburg
For nearly 40 years, the Boston School Bus Drivers, hard working women and men from our communities , have proudly provided safe, on time, professional service to the students and parents. They are parents and grandparents of students themselves. The overwhelming majority are from Boston’s communities of color, African American, Latin@ and immigrants from Haiti, Cape Verde and Vietnam. This Union worked hard against Company/City racism and to assure that the workforce reflects the diversity of Boston. USW Local 8751 has an exemplary record of fighting and winning some of the best wages, benefits, and dignified working conditions for its members, as well as providing rock solid advocacy.
Equally important is the fact that throughout it’s over 38 year history Local 8751 has stood in solidarity with Labor and Community struggles for Justice throughout the City, the region, the nation and the globe. They have marched, rallied, picketed in support of NYC School bus workers, Verizon telephone workers, postal workers, Teamster dispatchers, Union Painters, Columbian Coke-a-Cola workers, and in virtually every labor struggle of import since the union’s formation. They aided workers to organize into unions from Eastern Bus to Boston taxi drivers and Hotel workers. From day one, the union has fought alongside the community for Equal, Quality Education and against efforts to re-segregate the schools. The bus drivers stood firm in fighting against school closings and cutbacks and for Safety for the Children. The Union busters think they can destroy this union. WE WON’T LET THEM!
On June 18, 2013 Veolia, a global corporate giant known for anti-people, anti-union practices, signed an agreement to honor USW 8751’s contract. Since July 1, they have illegally violated nearly every section and sought to overturn 35 years of collective bargaining progress. There are massive and chronic payroll shortages; overcrowded and untimely routes which sacrifice safe, on time transportation; across the board failure to provide correct benefits; and a general refusal to abide by the terms and conditions of the contract. Nearly 100 individual and class action grievances have been filed. In early September, the Union filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board. Still this arrogant company refused to honor the contract.
On Oct 8, the drivers reported to work and requested a meeting with Veolia to demand that Veolia honor their contract. This was a protected, unfair labor practice activity. Despite the fact that Veolia’s top brass and the top officers of BPS were in the yards from 4:30 AM on, the company refused. Instead, at 11:00 am Veolia initiated an illegal Lock Out of the drivers, a violation of the contract and federal law. There never was a wild-cat strike on Oct 8, nor any threat of one since. The fear mongering, phony panic forced upon Boston’s parents, orchestrated by the Mayor and BPS, is irresponsible and designed to drive a wedge between the union and the community. They will fail.
On Oct. 9, Veolia suspended Vice President, Pension Administrator and key benefits advocate Steven Gillis and Chair of the Grievance Committee and local founder Stevan Kirschbaum. Within days, they also suspended Recording Secretary and Chief Steward Andre Francois; 3 time former Local President and Steward Garry Murchison; and Steward and Local founding member Richard Lynch. The discriminatory targeting of these particular leaders represents a calculated effort on the part of Veolia and Mayor Menino to break the organizational backbone and infrastructure of the union. On November 1, Gillis and Kirschbaum were fired.
For decades this union has stood with us, Labor and the Community. Now it is time for us to stand with them! An Injury to One is and Injury to all!
All out for Solidarity Day Nov. 9
Say NO to Veolia/City union-busting!
Hands off the 5!
Reinstate Gillis and Kirschbaum immediately!
Go to bostonschoolbus5.org for updates and information.
National Day of Solidarity with Boston School Bus Union 5 & Local 8751
Big developments in the Boston school bus drivers struggle:
Saturday, November 9 is a National Day of Solidarity with Boston school bus drivers against union-busting, pro-Israeli apartheid Veolia Transporation, the Boston city government and corporate media.
Boston Globe reports on Veolia's firing of Local 8751 leaders Steve Gillis and Stevan Kirschbaum
The attack on Local 8751 coincides with a push to return to the racist neighborhood school system in Boston. The school bus drivers' union was founded in the 1970s in the struggle to desegregate Boston public schools. The Globe reports, "Veolia Transportation, which oversees the School Department’s bus operation, is paying for the billboard ads, and Clear Channel is charging a discounted public service rate" to promote the re-segregation scheme.
Boston City Councilor Charles Yancey on Monday morning submitted a hearing order calling for a City Council hearing on whether Veolia is in breach of its contract with the school department and requiring Veolia, the school department and the mayor to testify.
The San Francisco Labor Council has issued a statement of solidarity for Local 8751's struggle against Veolia.
Palestine solidarity activists in St. Louis, Missouri are celebrating victory after Veolia Water North America withdrew from a $250,000 contract to consult with the city’s water division. Veolia’s withdrawal was the “dramatic conclusion” to a one-year activist effort to defeat the contract, the St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) said in a statement.
In Boston, school bus drivers will be joined by supporters from across New England and the Northeast, including New York City school bus drivers.
Other solidarity actions announced so far:
Los Angeles
When: Saturday November 9th at 2 PM
Where: Veolia Transportation in Los Angeles - 1611 Naud St. MAP
Contact: International Action Center - (323) 306-6240
Oakland, California
Saturday, November 9 - 1pm
35 Freeport Way, Dorchester, MA
Sponsored by the United Steelworkers International, Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers and a broad coalition of labor and the community to Say NO to Veolia/City Union Busting!
Hands off the Boston School Bus Union 5 - Vice President Steven Gillis (fired 11/1/13), Grievance Chair and Local founder Stevan Kirschbaum (fired 11/1/13), Recording Secretary and Charlestown Chief Steward Andre Francois, Steward and Local founder Richard Lynch and Steward and 3 term former President Garry Murchison. All three suspended and threatened with firing.
The Demonstration will include the NY ATU 1181, NY School Bus workers Union Solidarity Caravan!
Emergency Rally! Stop the Firing of the Boston School Bus Union 5!
All Out! Emergency Rally!
Stand with the Boston School Bus Drivers!
Stop the Terminations of the "School Bus Union 5"!
Rally: Monday, Oct. 28th - 1:30 PM – on.
(Come immediately after work. The Rally will last and grow into the evening.)
Veolia Transportation, 35 Freeport Way, Dorchester (one block from Dorchester Ave. off Freeport St., behind the school bus yard)
Stand in Solidarity with USW Local 8751, the Boston School Bus Drivers’ Union, in its struggle to stop the union-busting corporation Veolia Transportation in its illegal attack on the union’s members, leadership and contract.
On Monday, Oct. 28th, Veolia has planned a disciplinary hearing, threatening to terminate 5 of USW Local 8751’s elected officers. Join the protest at Veolia in Dorchester from 1:30 PM on. If you’re working, come immediately after work to demand, “Veolia: Hands Off the School Bus Union 5!” - Grievance Chair Steve Kirschbaum, Recording Secretary Andre Francois, Vice President Steve Gillis, Steward Garry Murchison and Steward Rick Lynch.
Since day one of taking over the Boston school bus management contract on July 1, 2013, Veolia has committed numerous Unfair Labor Practices, violated nearly every term and condition of the drivers’ employment contract, and engaged in actions designed to steal literally millions of dollars from drivers’ paychecks. In the process, Veolia has sacrificed student safety on the altar of profit, among other things creating routes designed by GPS-based software that result in massive lateness to school and to home, and refusing to pay drivers for all their time worked.
On October 8th, when drivers engaged in a legally protected protest of Veolia’s unfair labor practices, Veolia wrongly called the police and forcibly removed the drivers, illegally locking the gates and refusing to let the drivers back in to work. Boston Mayor Menino and Veolia then targeted 5 officers of Local 8751 for termination, which disciplinary hearing is scheduled for Monday, October 28th.
Boston School Bus Drivers Union Local 8751 exemplifies what a labor union should be. Not only has its members been successful in winning living wages, benefits and unprecedented contract language, This local is willing to extend real solidarity to other workers whenever possible. This union has fought racism, sexism, anti-gay bigotry, every war since the 1970's and practiced solidarity with all workers struggles inside and outside of union organizations.
This union-busting action by Veolia Transportation is outrageous. Solidarity is not a crime. Standing up with the members’ for their rights is not a crime. All of labor needs to stand up and say, “We will join ranks to ensure that Veolia’s crime will not succeed, in Boston or any of its world-wide operations.”
Veolia: “Hands Off the Boston School Bus Union 5!”
Stop the attacks on USW Local 8751!
Boston: School Bus Drivers Union - Steelworkers Local 8751 rallies to demand: Hands off the School Bus Union 5, October 25, 2013.
"A day of struggle from the bus yards to the mass occupation of the Veolia Corporate Headquarters at the time of the hearings concerning the frame-up charges against the School Bus Union 5 - Garry Murchison, Andre Francois, Richard Lynch, Steven Gillis and Stevan Kirschbaum."
Photos via Team Solidarity
Boston: Steve Gillis (center), vice-president of United Steelworkers Local 8751 - Boston school bus drivers, speaks at a news conference, October 9, 2013. Gillis is one of seven union activists being targeted by the city and bus company over Tuesday's wildcat strike.
The union-busting, red-baiting attack on Boston bus drivers continues. Seven union activists have been targeted as "ringleaders" of Tuesday's wildcat strike by Mayor Menino and two have been suspended by Veolia, the bus contractor, which also operates apartheid buses at Israeli checkpoints in occupied Palestine. The Steelworkers International leadership is openly scabbing against the largely Haitian immigrant workforce of Local 8751.
Boston: School bus drivers, members of United Steel Workers Local 8751, stage a wildcat strike to protest attacks on healthcare and other anti-worker policies, October 8, 2013.