(CUBA, NEW YORK) – First Transit Drivers in the Allegany County Town of Cuba in Western New York have decided to Go Union With Teamsters Local 264, voting 30-to-5 for Union Representation, Local 264 Business Agent Tony Vaccaro tells WNYLaborToday.com.

And with the company recently winning additional work through a new contract, Vaccaro says that number more than likely will increase by another 10 people in the not too distant future.

The reason why the Drivers wanted a Union in their workplace was the fact the company was offering better pay and more vacation to new hires it recruited, leaving the older and establishment Workers out in the cold, he said. 

“They were ‘fearful’ about being ‘slotted under’ new hires that the company was recruiting and it was ‘overwhelming’ in what they said – ‘to a person’ – as to why they wanted (Union representation in their workplace),” Vaccaro said.

Teamsters Local 264’s plans to conduct an Organizing Drive at First Transit in Allegany County originally came out of a meeting Vaccaro attended in Chicago back in 2014 where his Union discussed the beginnings of organizing First Transit Drivers across the country.

Vaccaro reached out to a Teamsters-represented United Parcel Service (UPS) Driver in Allegany County who knew some of the First Transit Drivers and meetings soon began, “one on ones,” with the Workers.  

It took about 18 months for the Drivers to show enough interest in holding a Union Election.

“We got (75% to 80%) of our cards signed and on March (18th) the election was held.  The new NLRB rules really helped (in speeding up the election),” Vaccaro said.  (See LaborNotes’ Report, Headlined: New Rule Speeds Unionization Votes at http://labornotes.org/2015/06/new-rule-speeds-unionization-votes-say-organizers).

“This has been ‘gratifying,’” Vaccaro told WNYLaborToday.com on Friday (April 15th).  “It’s ‘nice’ to be able to help people who ‘want’ to be represented – and there are Workers out there who want and need help (with Union Representation in their workplaces).”

Teamsters Local 264 represents more than 4,000 Workers across Western New York, from Bus Drivers to Tractor-Trailers Drivers to Snowplow Drivers and Route Sales Drivers (from UPS to Tops Supermarkets), as well as 600 Sheriff’s Deputies at the Erie County Holding Center.