IBT - International Brotherhood of Teamsters
10/31/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/31/2025 11:29
DATTCO Smithfield School Bus Teamsters Ratify Strong New Contract
Agreement Delivers Major Gains in Wages, Health Care, Job Protections, and Retirement
Press Contact: Lena Melentijevic Phone: (347) 208-2279 Email: [email protected]
(SMITHFIELD, R.I.) - Members at DATTCO Smithfield, represented by Teamsters Local 251, have overwhelmingly ratified a three-year successor agreement that secures significant wage increases of over 30 percent, access to Teamsters health care, stronger job protections, and entry into the New England Teamsters Pension Fund.
The 44 school bus workers first organized with Local 251 in 2020, winning their first contract in early 2022. When DATTCO took over the transportation contract in 2023, the company honored the existing deal. The newly ratified agreement marks the second for these members - and the strongest yet - building on the foundation of gains achieved in their first union contract.
"Teamsters at DATTCO Smithfield have once again proven what collective power can deliver," said Matt Taibi, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 251 and Director of the Teamsters Passenger Transportation Division. "Teamsters in the passenger transportation industry continue to raise standards and fight for the respect they've earned while providing safe, reliable transportation for children."
The Smithfield unit is part of a growing wave of victories for DATTCO Teamsters across Rhode Island and Connecticut. In the last year alone, workers at DATTCO locations in East Hartford, Bloomfield, and Middletown, Connecticut at Teamsters Local 671, as well as Smithfield and Burrillville, Rhode Island at Local 251, have won stronger contracts and increased benefits.
"This new agreement is a significant win for everyone involved," said David Malone, a bus driver and member of Local 251. "It's a clear acknowledgement of how essential drivers and attendants are to students and our community."
Teamsters Local 251 represents over 6,300 workers in a wide variety of industries throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. For more information, go to teamsters251.org.
- Share on Facebook
- Share on Twitter
- Share via emailEmail
IBT - International Brotherhood of Teamsters published this content on October 31, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 31, 2025 at 17:29 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]