Last Week in Southern Labor: 6/21 – 6/28

Jacob Morrison

Here’s what workers in the US South and the colonies were up to from June 21st to June 28th:

New Campaigns

  • More workers were covered by new decertification campaigns than new organizing this week: 2 units covering 117 workers being in desert campaigns, and 4 units covering 109 workers in new union campaigns. 1 raid began among security guards, and one election petition was filed and withdrawn in the same week
  • The employer filed a petition to hold a union election after a majority of the 8 workers at H&M in Lakeland, FL demonstrated support for unionization with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1625
  • 50 workers at Henderson Community Co-op and Deli in Hendersonville, NC filed a petition to hold a union election with UFCW Local 1996
  • The Security Officers of RTP is attempting to raid a unit of 46 security guards at Paragon Systems in Research Triangle Park, NC currently represented by the Security, Police, and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA)
  • 3 workers at Heritage Care Center of Berkeley in St Louis, MO filed a petition to hold a union election with SEIU Healthcare Missouri Kansas, but withdrew the petition in the same week 
  • Workers likely pushed by their employer filed a petition to decertify the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) as the union representing 52 workers at First Student (a school bus company) in Dalton, GA
  • The employer filed a petition to hold a union election after a majority of the 33 workers at SIXT Rent A Car in Miami, FL demonstrated support for unionization with the Teamsters Local 769
  • Workers likely pushed by their employer filed a petition to decertify the Teamsters Local 745 as the union representing 65 workers at FCC Environmental Services in Dallas, TX
  • 18 workers at Point Broadband Fiber Holding in Bristol, VA filed a petition to hold a union election with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 934

Campaign Updates

  • Ohio charter schools are using an Orlando based union busting law firm to fight union campaigns among their teachers
  • Ahead of union elections at several Compass Coffee locations in DC, management has packed the units with 124 new “employees” including CEOs of other area restaurants and a lobbyist for Uber. Additionally, a fake account claiming to be the union, has made inflammatory pro-Palestine statements using Hamas paraglider imagery

Election Results

  • 585 workers in 11 bargaining units voted in favor of unionization, and 22 workers in 2 units voted against
  • 14 workers at Starbucks in Newberry, SC voted 10 to 1 in favor of unionization with Starbucks Workers United, as did 12 workers at Starbucks in Hurst, TX (their vote was 11 to 1) (i thought there was a 3rd one?)
  • 46 workers at Innovative Solutions in Aiken, SC voted 24 to 11 in favor of unionization with the Teamsters Local 509
  • 18 workers at Rural Metro Corporation of Tennessee in Chattanooga, TN voted 14 to 0 in favor of unionization with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)
  • 4 workers at Glades Electric Cooperative in Moore Haven, FL voted unanimously in favor of unionization with IBEW Local 1933
  • 10 workers at Wells Fargo in Spring Hill, FL voted 9 to 1 in favor of unionization with Wells Fargo Workers United CWA, as did 5 workers at a location in Fort Myers, FL
  • 21 workers at Darling Ingredients in Bastrop, TX voted 8 to 11 against unionization with the Teamsters Local 657
  • 13 workers at Democracy North Carolina in Morrisville, NC voted 10 to 0 in favor of unionization with the Communication Workers of America (CWA)
  • 1 worker at Keolis in Dania Beach, FL did not vote in an election to see if their department would be added to an existing Teamsters Local 769 represented unit, so that department was not added (how does that happen?)
  • 127 workers at Mikeyco in Boynton Beach, FL voted 45 to 29 in favor of unionization with the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE) 
  • 41 workers at the Luther F Carson Four Rivers Center in Paducah, KY voted 34 to 4 in favor of unionization with IATSE Local 421
  • 295 workers at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA voted 146 to 29

Strikes & Bargaining

  • Workers at a Wendy’s in Durham, NC, organized with the Union of Southern Service Workers, held a rally protesting management’s discrimination against one of their trans coworkers
  • USSW members in NC, SC, and GA held other rallies around their heat demands: AC and consistent water breaks
  • IUPAT workers on strike against SSW Advance Technologies in Vincennes, IN are taking their strike nationwide, including traveling to SSW in Tennessee to inform workers of their right to unionize
  • Workers at Central Florida Jobs with Justice ratified their first union contract with CWA Local 3108. The contract includes a 6% raise, a 401k, more expansive leave, and more
  • The SPLC Union is coming out with more evidence that the recent layoffs were retaliatory, with private messages from the CEO disparaging the workers
  • The US House is proposing a meager 2% raise for federal civilian workers but a 20% raise for the lowest level of service members in the military
  • The American Postal Workers Union began negotiations for a new contract with the Postal Service 
  • Community members in Mason, TN demonstrated against Ford’s Blue Oval facility’s lack of commitment to the community, and refusal to bargain over a community benefits agreement
  • CWA Southeast began bargaining on a new contract with AT&T and DirecTV last week.

Politics & Legislation

  • The activist Supreme Court overturned the Chevron doctrine, which means that now federal judges – some of whom have the distinguished primary qualification of having been big Trump donors – will be the ones making decisions on technical details for administrative agencies. The AFL-CIO condemned the decision, calling it a “brazen power grab.”
  • Another activist judge blocked the Department of Labor’s new overtime rule from going into effect for workers in Texas, denying thousands of Texans a well deserved pay increase 
  • Even as Social Security Administration workers are understaffed and overworked, the House GOP wants to cut the budget by half a billion dollars. Jessica LaPointe, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 220, told the Government Executive that cuts on the order of those proposed in the House bill would be a death blow to a workforce that is still struggling under crushing workloads
  • Sherrod Brown led other Senate Democrats in a letter to the Biden Administration urging them that they stop the purchase of US Steel by Nippon
  • After years of fighting in the courts, the black mayor of Newbern, AL is finally able to serve his town after a white minority coup after his initial win. Shout out to Lee Hedgepeth for bringing the story to light initially
  • The City of Charlotte, NC approved over half a billion dollars in stadium improvements for the Panthers owner 
  • Middle Tennessee DSA is raising $10,000 to abolish $1,000,000 in medical debt for Tennessee residents
  • Texas Teamsters are opposing efforts to allow driver-less taxis operated by Cruise to be allowed on the road in Dallas
  • The Oklahoma Supreme Court blocked an attempt to start a publicly funded religious charter school – the Oklahoma Federation of Teachers applauded the decision
  • A florida judge ruled that Florida educators can challenge SB 266 in court – the law bans independent arbitration of personnel decisions

Internal Union Affairs

  • UAW Region held a week-long summer school for active members last week, teaching subjects such as UAW 101, Bargaining, Grievance Writing, CAP, Retirees, Young Workers and Financial Officer training