A television news investigation exposed the maintenance problems in California even as union members from the U.S. (including Teamsters, of course) and the U.K. exposed its abuse of workers at the company's annual general meeting in London.
NBC Bay Area News did a tremendous story earlier this week describing how Durham school buses break down a lot:
Durham School Services is a private company and provides buses for students in 350 school districts in 30 states. The company claims to provide increased service, cost efficiencies and safety.
Yet the drivers we spoke with from Durham’s Hayward and Livermore yard raised concerns regarding the maintenance of Durham’s buses.
Ramirez told NBC Bay Area she has been reporting brake problems on her bus to Durham for the past 5 months and they still have not been changed.
The unidentified, veteran, driver told Kovaleski he has also experienced problems. “Only 6 months ago we had one day where we had 6 to 7 breakdowns in one morning shift,” said the veteran driver.You can watch the whole video report here.
And here's what happened in London at almost the same time:
Teamster school bus drivers and representatives from the United States and Canada called on National Express Group (NEX), a large multinational corporation, to honor the human rights of its North American workers at the company’s annual meeting held in London.
“We are here to call on National Express’s investors to insist this company do what is right and just. It’s time that this company honors the basic human rights of its hardworking employees by instituting a real freedom of association policy, rather than putting out a sham policy and blatantly violating all global human rights standards,” said Ken Hall, Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer.
The delegation traveled to the United Kingdom over serious concerns about National Express’s negative human rights and labor relations record at its North American subsidiaries, Durham School Services in the U.S. and Stock Transportation in Canada.
Between 2001 and 2011, more than 200 unfair labor practice (ULP) charges were filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Durham School Services. In regard to 52 cases, the ULPs were of such serious nature that the NLRB was prepared to issue a formal complaint against the company. The ULPs raised concerns of unlawful terminations, surveillance, retribution and disparate treatment of its employees who supported unions.
