Here’s what workers in the Southern U.S. and the Colonies were up to from September 16-22:
104 workers at Overseas Shipholding Group in Tampa, FL filed for unionization with the International Organization of Masters, Mates, and Pilots.
31 workers at Rivers Casino in Portsmouth, VA filed for unionization with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 822
77 music workers at Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, NC filed for unionization with the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 342
13 workers at Rare Bird Roastery in Falls Church, VA filed for a union election with Workers United
27 workers at Swissport Fueling in Fort Myers, FL filed for a union election with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW)
50 workers at Unity Healthcare in Washington DC filed for a union election with the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD)
80 workers at Dal Tile Quartz in Dickson, TN filed for a union election with the United Steel Workers International Union
18 workers at BeLeaf Medical in Saint Louis, MO filed for a union election with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655
82 workers at International Rescue Committee in Dallas, TX filed for a union election with the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 277
A big correction from last week: that 780 worker unit at Peco Foods in West Point, MS was not a union election petition, but rather a decertification petition. So unfortunately that is not 780 workers looking to join a union, but that is 780 workers who are already unionized, and the decertification petition was pulled this week. The workers are and will remain part of UFCW Local 1529
Students at Marshall University in West Virginia formed the first Student Union at the College
A few groups of workers withdrew their petition for union election:
5 workers at the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)’s headquarters in DC withdrew their petition for union election with the United Staff Union. Could be bad! Would love any insight anyone has.
18 workers for Flour Garden Bakery tied in their union election with the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers (BCTGM) International Union Local 358 6 to 6 with one challenged ballot, and the petition for representation was withdrawn
After an election was scheduled for 18 workers at Liberty Communications of Puerto Rico, they withdrew their petition for unionization with the Communication Workers of America
394 workers at Molson Coors Beverage Company in Elkton, VA voted against unionization with BCTGM 126 to 225
211 workers at American Fuels Cells and Coated Fabrics in Magnolia, AR voted in favor of unionization with the USW 108 to 79
24 workers at Transit Management of Alexandria in Alexandria, VA voted in favor of unionization with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689 15 to 6
16 workers at Primary Medical Group in Ponce, PR voted in favor of unionization with Unidad Laboral de Enfermeras y Empleados de la Salud (ULEES) 13 to 2
13 workers at George Washington University in Washington DC voted in favor of unionization with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 500
Several weeks ago, the American Federation of Government Employees announced that they had secured backpay and recall rights for 5,000 VA employees who had been wrongfully terminated after an illegal implementation of a Trump administration policy. Now, Labor Notes is reporting that Trump is making it a campaign issue to fire them again, damaging the VA’s ability to serve, disrupting these employee’s lives, many of whom are veterans themselves, and ultimately again almost certainly costing the taxpayer in the inevitable settlement to come for breaking the law.
188 UAW members at ZF Manufacturing in Tuscaloosa, Alabama are on strike after voting down 3 contract proposals from the company that were insufficient, in particular in the health care and raises.
We mentioned that the State Employee Insurance Board was considering raising premiums and cutting benefits for state government workers, and last week they went through with it. Because Alabama does not give it’s public sector workers collective bargaining rights, they did not have to bargain over the changes.
The USFL and XFL are considering a merge. The USFL players successfully unionized with the USW, while XFL players voted against unionization. The USFLPA put out a statement on the merger, saying “regardless of what happens with a potential merger, we are looking forward to the future growth of professional football and our ongoing relationship with the USFL, as we ensure that players have a strong voice on the job.”
Shangrila dispensary workers with United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 655 in Columbia, MO are still on strike – they began in May.
Three Brothers Coffee workers with UFCW 1995 in Nashville, TN have been on strike since June
Memphis soy protein production workers with Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM) Local 390G have also been on strike since June.
UAW has expanded their strike at Stellantis and GM to all of their parts distribution centers – 38 in total across 20 states, 5,600 more on strike.
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