When Father Bill Leininger of the Archdiocese of San Jose and California State Assemblyman Paul Fong heard concerns expressed by bus drivers in their community, they immediately pledged full support of the workers’ efforts to form a union.

 

The drivers—employees of Student Transportation of America (STA) and Durham School Services—faced harassment, intimidation, wage theft and unsafe working conditions. When they tried to join Local 287 in San Jose, both companies waged aggressive anti-union campaigns.

 

Leininger and Fong learned of these conditions as members of a panel during a Speak Out, a meeting where workers let their concerns be known to members of their community. The Speak Out gave workers an opportunity to take their organizing campaign beyond the boundaries of their bus yards. By engaging the community in their efforts, drivers at STA and Durham gained confidence and empowerment.

 

“It felt good to tell people about our struggles and to have our community actually listen to us,” said Kelli Watson, a driver at STA. “Confronting issues like favoritism, no paid sick days and a lack of respect head on was very empowering. Speaking out and knowing we had support from our community gave us the inspiration we needed to come together and form our union.”

 

In November 2011, Watson and nearly 200 other bus drivers successfully voted for Teamster representation after holding their Speak Out. The drivers are now members of Local 287.

 

Bob Blanchet, President of Local 287, said the role of the community supporting workers was an integral part of the campaign.

 

“The Speak Out was definitely a very powerful event,” Blanchet said. “Members of our community were extremely moved by what they heard and, in turn, supported these workers’ efforts to join our Teamster family.”

 

For Durham driver Ernie Bejarano, speaking out gave him the courage he needed to find his voice.

 

“Speaking out was a very powerful experience,” Bejarano said. “It taught us that we can’t be afraid. We have to better our lives and the Teamsters are going to help us do that.”