Emory shuttle drivers voted unanimously on Friday to join the Teamsters Local 728 union, paving the way for contract negotiations with their employer, First Transit, to commence shortly.

“From the vote, it is clear we have a mandate from the workers to represent them before the company,” local Teamsters organizer Ben Speight said.

Referencing the unanimity of the votes, Speight said the election was “such a rarity that my lawyer has never heard of something like it.”

According to Emory shuttle driver Angela Holloway, the drivers are hoping to see positive changes in salary, health benefits, pension options and overall treatment.

“I’m a single parent, and I’m in school. Now I can do what I need to do for me and my children. It’s time to put everything on the table,” Holloway said.

Of the 91 eligible voters, 64 cast votes in the secret ballot election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Eligible voters included Emory shuttle drivers who have been employed by First Transit at least since Dec. 29.

After having their names checked off by two election observers, voters proceeded to cast anonymous ballots inside a booth. At 7:15 p.m., NLRB board agent Joselle Chapman, who supervised the election, announced the results to the workers and Teamster members gathered at the Johnson Road shuttle base in Decatur. The election is currently pending official NLRB certification, which requires a seven-day time period following the election date.

Speight said the large turnout and landslide victory show that the relentless campaigning efforts have finally materialized into tangible results.

Shuttle drivers who operate the Emory routes constitute 100 of 160 metro-Atlanta First Transit drivers. Drivers at the nine remaining Atlanta-area locations – including Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State University and Coca-Cola – will vote by mail, with ballots to be counted on Feb. 22.

Official contract negotiations between the union and First Transit’s labor attorney and senior management will begin within a couple of months after the mail ballot elections conclude. Protected under the contract regardless of whether or not they voted, workers will elect a negotiating committee to represent their interests.

Speight said the contract will cover issues such as compensation, benefits and negotiation procedure. After the contract is finalized between the Teamsters and First Transit, workers will vote on the contract as well. The Teamsters have already negotiated contracts with First Transit employees all over the country, he said.

“We represent over 10,000 [First Transit] workers already, so we have a background with these folks,” Speight said. “We’re not starting from scratch.”

First Transit Labor Attorney Shirlyce Ammons said First Transit values its employees and their right to unionize.

“We look forward to working with the Teamsters on a collective bargaining agreement that will mutually benefit both parties,” Ammons said.

First Transit’s parent company, transportation conglomerate FirstGroup, has a Freedom of Association policy that FirstGroup spokesperson Kimberly Mulcahy said is strictly enforced.

In an e-mail to the Wheel, Mulcahy wrote that the company is committed to the principle that employees should be free from management influence in their decision to join a union.

But according to Speight, the weeks preceding the union election were speckled with incidences of lower management interfering with union activity and blatantly violating the company’s policy.

“The company, towards the end, became increasingly desperate to intimidate workers,” Speight said. “They have this chiefdom of power, and they don’t want to share it.”

Speight said the First Transit managers whose offices are at the Clairmont Campus parking deck threatened to call the Emory Police Department on Thursday afternoon when he was interacting with workers during their break. As a measure of intimidation, he said, a manager took out a cell phone and began to videotape and snap photos of the workers speaking with him – an incident that may prompt the Teamsters to file another unfair labor charge.

Ammons denied such an occurrence and claimed that Speight was trespassing, as the break room is not a public area. She said the Teamsters were interfering with First Transit’s service operations and were asked repeatedly to leave.

Alleged vehicle safety concerns – tires with gashes, burned-out headlights and worn brakes – further emboldened the workers to campaign for the union, Speight said. He said he attempted to contact the director of transportation, Adele Clements, but only succeeded in leaving a message with her secretary.

Director of Communications for Campus Planning David Payne said Emory did receive notification from a union organizer of the potential maintenance issues and immediately shared those concerns with First Transit to ensure a proper inspection and any necessary corrective action.

“Emory’s first priority for its shuttles is the safe and timely transit of our riders,” Payne said.

Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Michael Mandl confirmed that Emory has put the company on notice regarding the allegations but has seen no evidence of the safety issues. The University would be greatly concerned if First Transit were not fulfilling the safety aspects of their contract, he said.

Speight said he met with a vehicle safety and maintenance official last week to address concerns, and the company has already taken steps to make any necessary repairs.

In response to the allegations, Ammons said the company does not operate unsafe vehicles and has a strict procedure for reporting damages and then making repairs.

With contract negotiations to begin shortly, Speight said he hopes the Teamsters can build a healthy working relationship with First Transit.

“We’re ready to move forward,” he said.

— Contact Tiffany Han