When a Union Doesn't Pull It's Weight

Here is a story coming out of the State of Michigan, recently the nation's 24th Right to Work State, involving a group of school bus drivers unhappy with their union representation. Contrary to what some news articles have claimed this is not about an anti-union group using the new legislation to break up their union. There is much more going on here and the leadership of the official trade union movement should take the time to have a closer look at what these union members are saying. Their story may hold the key for Labour's fight against the imposition of Right to Work legislation by legislators in the US and Canada.

These 36 employees worked as bus drivers and monitors for the Dexeter Community Schools Transportation Department and were represented by Local 324 of the International Union of Operating Engineers. The conflict between Dexter's bus drivers and monitors had been brewing for several some time and began when Local 324 absorbed another labor group three years ago. The former labor group, whose personnel, practices and bylaws were superseded by those of the Bloomfield Hills union, had a more democratic way of working with those that they represented in the Dexter area. the conflict grew to a head when a contract was negotiated two years ago and then the contract was never brought to the membership for a ratification vote.

Fearing a repeat during negotiations this year, a group of reformers within the union pushed for an election to replace former chief union steward Mary Sullivan and alternate union steward Mike Johnson. A petition to hold a new election was signed and presented to the international rep of local 324, who allowed the election. It resulted in the election of a new chief steward and alternate union steward from the ranks of the reformers. Not agreeing with the election results the International rep toghether with the union president informed the membership that their election was illegal and against our by-laws. According to the by-laws, stated the International, the business manager retains the right to appoint whomever he wants, and in this case and in light of the election results he was not going to give up that right.

Using the right to appoint the Chief steward under the by-laws the International went ahead and reappointed the old Chief Steward and Alternate Steward against the wishes of the majority of the Dexter drivers and monitors. IN response to this action by the International Dexter's 36 drivers and monitors filed a petition to decertify Local 324 and recertify as their own collective bargaining unit. According to a report in the Dexter Leader the employees had their vote and West Washtenaw Bus Drivers and Monitors Association was the result. Now those employees are trying to get their local bargaining union up and running in time to negotiate a new contract that is at least influenced by initial dialogue between the new bargaining unit and its membership, presented to the members for review and feedback as its hammered out during negotiations with district officials, and presented in a final or near-final draft form to the members before both sides agree to the new contract.

The new union secretary and treasurer Michael Dendy said that "With Local 324 we had an expectation that we would be able to voice our opinion." He added that the employees in Dexter looked at other existing unions to join in the region, but one potential replacement for Local 324 was in the midst of a corruption scandal, so he and his colleagues decided to go down the road of forming a local union. "All we wanted was for them to do their job," he said. "When 324 left they left nothing else on the table but a new union."

He clarified for The Dexter Leader that this situation isn't about making any statements about unionization in general or the right-to-work debate that continues to rage throughout Michigan: "This is not about getting rid of 'the' union -- this is about the union we had was not pulling their weight ... one of the (new) stewards is a retired GM employee, the other is retired police, (and) both are lifelong union members," Dendy said. West Washtenaw Bus Drivers and Monitors Association will pay $15 or $16 in dues each month, as opposed to $25 to $40 to Local 324, according to Dendy.