In an Oct. 15 announcement, Teamsters Local 777 said a group of nearly 300 Sunrise Transportation bus drivers and monitors in Illinois voted to join the union.
The union said the group includes school bus drivers and monitors who organized around pay, benefits and working conditions. Local 777 called the result overwhelming but did not provide a ballot count or percentage, or say when the vote took place.
Jim Glimco, president of Teamsters Local 777, said the work is “essential to families and communities across Illinois.” He said workers deserve compensation and protections that reflect their responsibility for transporting students.
Al Mann, a Sunrise bus worker and new Local 777 member, said the organizing effort aimed to give employees more influence at work and improve prospects for their families. He described the goal as having “a voice on the job.”
Student Transportation of America (STA) said its acquisition of Sunrise took effect Sept. 18, 2026. The company said Sunrise serves students in general education and those with special needs in Illinois and Connecticut. STA put daily ridership at more than 23,000 students and the fleet at nearly 1,000 vehicles, including buses, vans and SUVs.
Local 777 said it will work with the employees to negotiate their first collective bargaining agreement. The union has not announced a bargaining schedule.
