Hear From Workers

Theresa Gares

Durham School Services
Toms River, New Jersey

Fired for Seeking a Union

As a school bus driver for Durham School Services in New Jersey, Theresa Gares is entrusted with the safety and security of the areas school children. “We work for the community,” says Gares.

But when Gares and her co-workers recently tried to form a union with the Transport Workers Union (TWU) to win improved benefits and working conditions, their employer, Durham School Services, fought their employees attempt to form a union.

 In seeking to join a union, Gares and her co-workers wanted to improve their minimal job benefits. They currently have no sick leave or vacation time. Their health benefits cost between $200 and $500 per month for family coverage, but because their employer classifies them as part-time workers, they only have partial benefits—and that means their coverage is so limited, there is no deductible above which insurance will cover. Despite paying hundreds of dollars a month for coverage, the workers are often left with large medical bills. In short, Gares says she sought a union because “maybe we can have something better.”

Gares is on the organizing committee, which quickly signed up a majority of their co-workers to join the union. But after the company found out about the workers’ efforts, management began holding weekly meetings to discourage them from joining. One day, Gares was called into the office after dropping off her bus and told she was fired for insubordination. A few days later another member of the organizing committee also was fired.

Gares is in the process of filing unfair labor practice charges against the company with the National Labor Relations Board, challenging her termination as illegal. But in the meantime, she has to figure out how to live with no income and no health benefits. Despite, the setbacks, she is determined to fight on.

“These big companies need to stop walking over all of us little people,” Gares says.