Workers at Georgia school bus maker Blue Bird vote in favor of United Steelworkers union

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FORT VALLEY, Ga. (AP) — Workers in Georgia at one of the nation's largest school bus manufacturers have voted to unionize.

Employees at Blue Bird Corp. chose to be represented by the United Steelworkers union by a vote of 697-435, according to the National Labor Relations Board.

The vote took place Thursday and Friday at Blue Bird's two factories and warehouse in Fort Valley.

Blue Bird and the union have five business days to file objections. If no objections are filed, the election will be certified and the United Steelworkers and Macon-based Blue Bird will begin negotiating an initial contract.

Blue Bird workers have said they’re seeking higher pay, more regular schedules, and better vacation and sick time benefits from the publicly held company, long the largest employer in nearby Peach County.

“We work hard, and we deserve fair pay, safe working conditions and to be treated with respect on the job,” Patrick Watkins, a Blue Bird worker who served on the organizing committee, said in a union-released statement. “It was clear that our only path forward was to take our future into our own hands – and that’s what we did today when we voted to organize.”

Blue Bird had urged employees to reject unionization, saying it was undesirable to interject a union as an intermediary between the company and workers. A company spokesperson did not respond to an email and phone call seeking comment.

USW represents more than 850,000 workers nationwide in a variety of industries.

The company hires general laborers at $16 an hour, and says its average starting wage is $17.69 an hour. Workers say pay hasn’t kept up with inflation.