FINALLY.

AFTER an uphill battle stretching over five years, Laidlaw paratransit van drivers in Spokane, members of Local 780, have a contract with the company. The contract, negotiated by Council 2, was unanimously ratified on Dec. 8.

The contract was no mean achievement. After all, Laidlaw, a private company, has significant financial forces that it can use to back its efforts. A multi-national corporation based in Canada, it owns Greyhound Bus Services, Mayflower and Armor Meats in addition to the Laidlaw transportation company itself.

The saga began in 1996 when Laidlaw bus drivers and paratransit van drivers in Spokane voted to join Council 2.

Laidlaw, which handles the bus driving for School District 81 in Spokane, contracts with Spokane Transit Authority for the paratransit van services.

Laidlaw opposed the initial organizing drive undertaken by Council 2 with all of its available resources. Once Council 2 succeeded in organizing the drivers in the company, they fought the union’s attempts to reach a first-time contract.

After more than five years, and two unsuccessful decertification attempts, an agreement was reached between the bus drivers, the paratransit drivers, Council 2 and Laidlaw that the bus drivers should withdraw their representation from Council 2. But the paratransit division, consisting of about 50 drivers, would continue to be represented and a contract would be negotiated.

Those negotiations resulted in a tentative agreement on the contract on October 3 and ratification in December.

Members applaud the efforts of Roy Degenstein, president of Local 780, throughout the negotiations. A retired carpenter, Degenstein was a member of the Carpenters Union until he retired and went to work for Laidlaw. Members say he held them together when times were rough and kept them informed of the status of negotiations. "Roy also took some heat from management, but he kept on going," one member says. "Greg Ludy, and Jim Skog of the Local’s executive board also stood firm during the negotiations."