The labor union representing 56 bus drivers, dispatchers, fuelers and cleaners — including shuttle operators at Brown, the Rhode Island School of Design and Rhode Island College — ratified its first contract with transportation operator Transdev last month.
The three-year contract was ratified with 92% approval among voting members and will remain in effect until June 30, 2028, according to Teamsters Local 251 Principal Officer Matthew Taibi, who led negotiations for the union. Under the agreement, Transdev workers represented by Teamsters Local 251 will receive an immediate 12% pay increase, with an average wage increase of 24% over three years.
One of the key components of the contract includes the establishment of a safety team that will issue safety improvement recommendations to management, according to bargaining team member Daven Cox, a shuttle driver for RISD Rides.
With these provisions, “we will be able to document problems on our lot, in our vehicles and on our routes,” Cox wrote in a message to The Herald. “I see this as a way to improve not only our working conditions, but also morale.”
Cox added that under the agreement, the drivers will join the Teamsters-managed retirement plan in 2026 and receive automatic contributions to their 401(k) retirement funds from Transdev.
“This is huge for us. Even if someone chooses not to contribute, they will still be growing their 401(k) for when they can contribute,” Cox said.
The drivers unionized in November 2023, hoping to secure higher compensation and better employment benefits from Transdev, which provides shuttle services at Brown, RISD and RIC.
The union voted to authorize a strike in September and, two months later, warned they would go on strike if bargaining did not progress. The union had previously involved a federal mediator in an attempt to facilitate negotiations.
“At times, we’ve felt our company’s refusal to participate in constructive negotiations to be confusing and frustrating,” Cox wrote. “I’m proud of us for remaining level-headed and focusing on the ultimate goals.”
Transdev did not respond to requests for comment.
In an October email to The Herald, Mitun Seguin, Transdev’s vice president of marketing and communications, wrote that the company’s goal during negotiations was to “reach an agreement that is both fair and equitable.”
Taibi said that after shuttle drivers joined dining, facilities and library workers at a protest in November, the workers and Transdev both made amendments to their proposals in order to advance negotiations.
Transdev had issued a “last, best and final offer” leading up to the holiday break, but drivers ultimately rejected the proposal, Taibi said. The union returned “to the table, identified wages as the main issue and then the company came back with more money,” he added.
Though the recent contract helps address many of the workers’ concerns, the bargaining committee had to postpone negotiations for an improved healthcare plan, Taibi said, adding that future changes to the current healthcare benefits agreement will require additional bargaining.
“There were things we were hoping to get, but in negotiation you have to prioritize what you really need,” he said. “It is the first contract. Everything in it was a gain.”
“Overall, I think we set the stage for a stronger contract next time,” Cox said. “We learned a lot from this process that we can pass on to the next group of negotiators.”
Emily Feil is a senior staff writer covering staff and student labor. She is a freshman from Long Beach, NY and plans to study economics and English. In her free time, she can be found watching bad TV and reading good books.
