Shuttle Drivers May Ask Teamsters To Submit Petition To Labor Board

Shuttle bus drivers decided Sunday to try to affiliate with the Teamsters union, several drivers said yesterday.

An undisclosed number of drivers have signed authorization cards requesting representatives of Teamsters Local 379 to file a petition for the drivers' right to unionize with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Teamsters officials were unavailable for comment yesterday. A spokesman for the NLRB said no petition had yet been filed on behalf of the drivers yesterday.

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In a recent meeting with several drivers, University officials said they would definitely not recognize the drivers' right to unionize, the drivers, who asked not to be identified, said. That meeting prompted the drivers to seek help from the Teamsters union, the drivers added.

Edward W. Powers, associate general counsel for employee relations, Sunday refused to confirm that any meeting had taken place.

Powers said last night that "people are free to join any union they want; it's a question of what the NLRB will do."

The NLRB will not recognize the drivers' right to unionize because of their primary relation to the University as students. Powers said last week.

But an NLRB official said last week the shuttle drivers clearly have the right to unionize because their employment is not directly related to their academic pursuits.

The drivers said they originally planned to establish an independent union, but sought outside assistance on the advice of legal counsel. Lawyers told the drivers that they would need to write by-laws and a charter for an independent union.

By joining the Teamsters, the drivers said they hoped to avoid the costs of a lengthly legal dispute with the University.

Buildings and Grounds officials will hold an open discussion of grievances with the drivers within the next few days, drivers said yesterday.

The drivers said last week that they want "a structure for negotiating working hours, working conditions, and wages" to ensure that the University considers drivers' opinions before making future schedule changes.

In their statement last Sunday the drivers said the new schedule--which cut daytime service in order to improve safety with increased nightly runs--forces them to drive unsafely, neglect "certain members of the Harvard community" and work more days to earn the same pay.