Initial count: Drivers vote not to unionize

Union official says Howard Zum school bus operator decision still unresolved

Though initial counts showed that Howard County-based school bus drivers working for Zum Services voted 110-78 last week against unionizing to demand better work conditions, a spokesperson for the union said Wednesday that about 41 ballots have been challenged and the vote is still unresolved.

The vote came less than a week after labor leaders and workers participated in a rally outside the Zum facilities in Jessup urging employees to vote in favor of unionizing.

The vote was taken Tuesday to determine whether employees wanted to be affiliated with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1994 Municipal and Government Employees Organization.

Raymun Lee, special assistant to the president in field services and organizing at the local, said some Howard County Zum employees expressed dissatisfaction about their work conditions, leading to the vote.

“[Employees] expressed concerns, but more importantly they’ve expressed a willingness to exercise a right that’s granted to them under the federal law to organize, join a union and collectively bargain over everything as it relates to their employment with Zum,” he said.

With 41 challenged ballots unresolved as of Wednesday, Lee said it is too early to determine the election results.

A Zum spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday that the company will support its employees regardless of the election results.

“[On Tuesday] Zum’s drivers and attendants elected to work directly with Zum,” the spokesperson said. “We are grateful to our drivers and attendants, who are at the heart of what we do. We respect their choice and will continue to ensure that they experience industry-leading pay, benefits, work culture and career growth. We are excited to partner with them to provide safe, reliable transportation for the families of Howard County. We look forward to the certification of this result.”

This is the first year Zum, based in California, has provided bus service in Howard County. The company was awarded a threeyear, $81 million contract by the school board in January.

Zum offers county drivers $26 to $30 per hour, depending on experience. Michael Bowen, whose Bowen’s Bus Service operated more than 50 school system routes last year, said local contractors typically pay $21.50 to $24 per hour.

Jackie Scott, a bus driver and trainer at Zum, began working for the company six months ago after driving buses in Howard County for about a decade.

She said she voted not to form a union because she is pleased with the company’s work conditions.

“Zum is a great company, and I can’t be … happier to be a part of it,” she said.

The 41 challenged ballots were sent to the National Labor Relations Board to determine which of the votes are eligible to be counted, Lee said.