During the first part of union negotiations with the company, if you had asked any of our "so call representatives" what was being discussed in either the negioations, or the pre-negioation meetings with the union, you would have been told; "that information is private and we aren't allowed to talk about it". I find it interesting, that while the union says they wish to represent us, that they were unwilling to discuss their specific agenda with us.

   However, in direct defiance of their own "self imposed silence", the Teamsters or one of their representatives who works for First Student (our co-worker) chose to both make, and distribute to First Student Drivers, Monitors, & Aids, multiple copies of a document obtained during those same negioations.

   Prior to copy and distribution, this same person had written on top of it: "From First Student to Drivers on 10-4-10". Not only did the "Spineless Fool" lack the decency to accept responsibility for its distribution, they also tried to give the illusion that it came from First Student Directly, and was meant for general distribution to "All Drivers, Monitors, & Aids, rather that those specifically involved in the labor contract negioations.

   While Rowdy Bates, First Student Grants Pass, Oregon Branch Manager, was asked during a subsequent safety meeting if First Student had in fact made the proposal and answered factually to the positive; First Student Corporate Policies forbade him to expound on the subject.

   Bottom line is, just like buying a house or car the seller (in this case the union) starts with sometimes unreasonable expectations, to which the buyer (in this case First Student) makes a counter offer. If the sellers expectations were unreasonably high, then the buyers offer will be unreasonably low, as in the case of this document. At some point during the process both parties will hopefully meet somewhere in the middle and a deal can be struck that benefits both.

   The union or the "company employee union representative" should have let the negotiations take their normal course, but rather chose to stir up hate and discontent within the branch, while at the same time choosing to hide behind the veil of anonymity and secrecy in an attempt to stir up trouble and force their personal views on "what's good for every First Student Employee" on the rest of us!

   One of these letters containing two (2) pages, professionally written (and signed) by Ernie Crawford (C-11), dated December 23, 2010 expressing his views on why we should vote "Against the union" was in fact legitimate! I provided Ernie with your addresses so he could send them out. This was the only "Official Mailing" by Ernie or myself (Alan Miller).

   A legitimate question from all employees would be; "Where did you get my address. I didn't give it to you, nor did I give First Student permission to give it to you?" While your addresses are normally kept private by First Student, the Federal Government can force First Student to provide them in certain circumstances. This was the case here. In order for all involved parties the right to get their information out prior to an "Representative Election", the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) required the company to provide names and addresses of employees working at the time the Decertification Petition was filed.

   As I, (Alan Miller) was the "Chief Petitioner" in the "Decertification Election Process" both myself and the Teamsters Union Local #962 were provided an "Excelsior List" as a way for us to contact all eligible employees within the company so we can legitimately express our reasons for our views on union representation.

   Unfortunately either someone within the Teamsters Union itself, or one of their supporters purporting to be working on their behalf, decided it would be advantageous to their position to create and mail numerous "Fraudulent Letters" using this "Excelsior List" which could have only been obtained from Teamsters Local #962.

   Contained within these "Fraudulent Letters"   (which were written to make one believe they were written and sent from myself, Alan Miller, and Ernie Crawford) were statements that you would have to be an idiot to believe. In a nutshell, they stated that if the union were voted out, we would sell off everything we own and sign over all our wages to compensate every other employee in the event wages and benefits were lost due to our success at the polls.

   The second paragraph of these "Fraudulent Letters", made statements that we and the company would in effect give the employees everything they wanted if the union were voted out, including paid holidays, paid vacation, 40 hour work week, over time paid anytime after 8 hours on the clock each day, retirement, fully paid health care, etc.

   Of course it is against the law for an employer (i.e. First Student) to "Promise benefits to employees to discourage their union support", amongst other things which you can read about yourself on the "National Labor Relations Board Web" (NLRB) web site by "Clicking Here". I know this and Ernie knows this; apparently the "Idiot" perhaps "Idiots" who wrote, copied, stuffed, stamped, and mailed these letters, lying about who they actually came from doesn't know this, or perhaps they just didn't care!!

• You feel you can't win an election the "Honest Way" using facts supported by documentation?

• You feel the need to have your negotiators work outside the agreed upon standards of fair contract negotiations

• You encourage your "Employee Representatives" to distribute printed material that would be ethically wrong for you to distribute yourselves?

• You provide an "Excelsior List" for use by your representatives without due regard or review of what they are sending out?