In our ongoing effort to take care of our Teamster Brothers and Sisters affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, Teamsters Joint Council 25 has facilitated agreements between most Illinois school districts and their vendors to ensure that our hard working members in the school bus industry will continue to be compensated while schools remain closed. This was only possible through the persistence of the leadership of individual Local Unions 179, 330, 777 and others who demanded answers, and put pressure on leaders to do the right thing and take care of our hard working members during this very difficult time.

When the State of Illinois announced all schools in the state would close, Teamster Leadership immediately went to work to identify how our members would be impacted. We reached out to Governor Pritzker’s office to confirm school districts would still receive vital funds from the state. After hearing from our locals that some districts were considering holding onto the funds rather than pay their vendors, Teamsters Joint Council 25 urged the Illinois State Board of Education to issue a statement asking that all vendors continue to be paid at this time.

Through the efforts of the Local Unions, agreements have been reached with most school districts and the vast majority of our school bus industry workers will continue to be paid.

However some school districts continue to withhold the money received from the State to pay our members. We will continue to pressure those districts to honor their contracts and do right by the hardworking school but workers that provide an integral service to the Illinois education system.

Teamsters Joint Council 25 thanks all of our members who are still working at this time to keep America’s supply chain moving and economy afloat, and will continue to fight for our Teamster Brothers and Sisters whenever their safety, rights or livelihood are threatened throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.