Last Week in Southern Labor: 5/17 – 5/24

Jacob Morrison

Here’s what workers in the US South and the colonies were up to from May 17th to May 24th:

New Campaigns

  • 2 workers at Spectrum in Washington DC filed a petition to hold a union election with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 99
  • 9 workers at BMC of St Charles in O Fallen, MO filed a petition to hold a union election with the Teamsters Local 682
  • 2 workers at Prime Communications in Opelika, AL filed a petition to hold a union election with the Communication Workers of America (CWA)–shout out to Adam’s local CWA 3908
  • 55 security guards at Allied Universal in Tampa, FL filed a petition to hold a union election with the Security, Police, & Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA)
  • 58 workers at Innovative Solutions Unlimited in Aiken, SC filed a petition to hold a union election with the Teamsters Local 509
  • 7 workers at Ryder Transportation Solutions in Elizabethtown, KY filed a petition to hold a union election with the Teamsters Local 89

Campaign Updates

Workers at Natural Grocers in Norman, OK recently won a union election – it has since come out that the small grocery store retained a union busting consulting group at a rate of $450/hr/person to try unsuccessfully to beat the campaign of about a dozen workers.

Election Results

  • 28 workers at Barnes and Noble in Austin, TX voted 6 to 20 against unionization with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 455
  • 20 workers at Vitamin Cottage Natural Foods Markets in Norman, OK voted 11 to 9 in favor of unionization with UFCW Local 1000
  • 15 workers at H&M in Melbourne, FL voted 13 to 1 in favor of unionization with UFCW Local 1625
  • 13 workers at NTE Mobility Partners in Farmers Branch, TX voted 2 to 9 against unionization with the Transportation Systems Union 
  • 3 security guards at MaxSent in Arlington, VA – in a first for me – did not vote! As in, no one voted in the election. At all. So, the SPFPA did not win the election and the company remains nonunion. 
  • 3 workers at Midwest Air Traffic Control Service voted 3 to 0 in favor of unionization with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA)
  • 79 workers at United Natural Foods and Alberts Organics in Sarasota, FL voted 75 to 0 in favor of unionization with the Teamsters Local 79
  • 73 workers at Lycee Francais de la Nouvelle Orleans in New Orleans, LA voted 52 to 12 in favor of unionization with the United Teachers of New Orleans (AFT Local 527). In an email exchange, AFT Local 527 President Dave Cash explained that after Katrina all public schools in New Orleans were turned into charters, meaning they’ve had to organize school by school instead of having one employer (the school board) to bargain with. Cash also mentioned that Bricolage Academy teachers ratified their first contract in April, while Morris Jeff Community School teachers ratified their third contract in December, which included over 7 weeks of paid parental leave. 
  • 100 security guards at Paragon Systems in El Paso, TX voted 13 to 5 in favor of unionization with SPFPA

Settlements, Grievances, & Unfair Labor Practices

  • The UAW has filed objections to the election at Mercedes in Alabama, demanding a rerun after egregious violations of the law which included discharging workers, disciplining union supporters, and subjecting workers to mandatory anti-union propaganda meetings
  • Workers at a St Louis Amazon warehouse filed unfair labor practice charges against the company for their surveillance of the workers, an illegal activity under the NLRA

Strikes & Bargaining

  • After successfully unionizing with the United Steel Workers about this time last year, 1,500 workers at Blue Bird in Fort Valley, GA (an electric bus manufacturer) ratified a contract this week that continues average raises of 12% over three years, with the lowest paid seeing over 40% in raises. Additional provisions of the contract include establishing a retirement plan, profit sharing, and more. Acting Labor Secretary Julie Sue released a statement congratulating the workers
  • Teamsters Local 420 announced members had ratified a contract with Molson Coors that includes increased wages and better benefits, ending the three month strike
  • Durham, NC educators are seeking recognition through meet and confer rights through their local School Board, and 50 of the union’s members walked out of the most recent school board in protest

Politics & Legislation

Internal Union Affairs