Tenacity Yields Strong Contract for Local 1909 School Bus Drivers

With a message-sending 92% approval rate, the members of Local 1909 (St. Andrews, California) have ratified a new three-year contract with First Student. 
 
Locking in higher pay, better benefits, and improved working conditions, our brothers and sisters made notable gains while most importantly not giving up anything in return.  

Fighting for Raises Front and Center  

Local 1909 is the latest in an ever-growing list of SMART-TD locals that have recently approved strong contracts, sending a message that they deserve to be recognized for their knowledge, professionalism, and expertise.  
 
That doesn’t mean that the road to get there was easy, explains General Chairperson of GCA-FSG Maria Morales.  
 
“It was a hard fight with [First Student],” she said. “We had to do this on Zoom. It was never in person.”  
 
When negotiations began, the other side wasn’t interested in discussing raises and wages. GC Morales, who has worked for First Student for over 20 years, wouldn’t hear it.  

“I told them ‘We’re still here for a reason. We’re here, because we’re loyal and you guys don’t want to give us a raise,’” GC Morales explained. “You’ve got members that are here over 20-25 plus years and that means loyalty. That’s my word: loyalty. And you don’t want to give us a raise? That’s the fight that I was fighting for.”  

Contract Includes Overtime Fix, Fair Route Assignments, 401(k) Increases 

The new agreement goes into effect September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2028, and includes: 

• Wages & Raises: Members receive significant annual raises over the lifetime of the agreement. GC Morales says that this win is what she’s most proud of out of everything that the union achieved. 
• 20-Day Limit on Discipline: Clear, 20-day deadline for issuing discipline after an incident, preventing delays or other arbitrary action.  
• Overtime Improvements: Time-and-a-half is earned after working eight hours in a day or 40 hours in a week. Previously, it was only available after 40 hours worked in a week.  
• 401(k) Boosts: Starting with Year 2 of the contract, the match is increased to $350 and $500 in Year 3. 
• Fair Route Assignment: Unbid routes are assigned by reverse seniority instead of management choice.  

Perseverance Gets Strong Results

SMART-TD Bus Department Vice President James Sandoval assisted GC Morales throughout the negotiations.  
 
“James is a fighter. He won’t give up,” said GC Morales. “He’ll try and he’ll keep on trying. He takes this to the heart…he’ll do something to learn and keep on learning. That’s his thing: I have to fight, and I’m going to continue fighting.” 
 
That energy was matched by GC Morales. 
 
“She’s not afraid to dig in and fight for her members, especially when their livelihoods are on the line,” explained VP Sandoval. “This agreement is proof of that. Because of her determination and perseverance, the members of Local 1909 are protected by a strong agreement that is a true reflection of their worth and the value they bring to the craft.”

As the membership celebrates this win, GC Morales isn’t slowing down. 
 
Instead, she’s already looking ahead to 2028 when negotiations will ramp up and plans to be more prepared than ever.   
 
“We’re gonna fight again,” she declared.