Hey y’all – sorry for the delay in getting this out. Like I said – it’s a lot! And I’m sure I missed some. Don’t forget to let us know about your own union and labor updates at TVLR.FM/Contact.
Just to knock out two birds with one stone – I’ll remind y’all we still have a few weeks left in our fundraising campaign. After a quick start, we stalled pretty quickly and will need a surge of donations to hit our goal of $10,000. Have you donated yet? You can do so at TVLR.FM/Union2024. If you want to get something for your money (other than supporting the largest union radio program in the South) – check out our store: TVLR.FM/Store. If you can’t contribute financially, you can share this fundraiser with your friends or get your local union to buy a sponsorship for as little as $100/month. You could also request that your union or organization buy some of our shirts, hats, or matchbooks in bulk, or share our fundraiser with your membership. There are so many ways you can help us stay on the air, I hope you’ll consider doing at least one. Thank you so much for supporting us.
Without further adieu, here’s what workers in the US South and the colonies were up to from August 9 to August 23:
New Campaigns
- 960 workers across 16 bargaining units are in new union campaigns, and 183 workers across 6 bargaining units are in new decertification elections
- The employer filed a petition for a union election after a majority of the 69 workers at Parsec in Jacksonville, FL demonstrated support for unionization with the Teamsters Local 512
- 7 workers at Pye Barker Fire & Safety in Bowling Green, KY filed a petition to hold a union election with the United Association’s Road Sprinkler Fitters (UA) Local 669
- Workers likely pushed by their employer filed a petition to decertify the United Steel Workers (USW) Local 227 as the union representing the 2 workers at Eco Services Operation Corporation in Houston, TX
- 12 workers at Pulau – a defense electronics company – in Fort Hood, TX filed a petition to hold a union election with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW)
- Workers likely pushed by their employer filed a petition to decertify the Communications Workers of America (CWA) as the union representing the 48 workers at AT&T Mobility in Ridgeland, MS
- 4 workers at Kentucky Power in Pikeville, KY filed a petition to hold a union election with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 978
- Workers likely pushed by their employer filed a petition to decertify USW Local 13-1141 as the union representing 64 workers at Gold Bond Building Products in Pryor, OK
- 3 workers at Fabick Rents in Rolla, MO filed a petition to hold a union election with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 513
- Workers likely pushed by their employer filed a petition to decertify the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART) Local 202 as the union representing 17 workers at Corrpak – a metal fabrication facility – in Chesterfield, MO
- The employer filed a petition to hold a 3 union elections in 3 different departments at UPS in Louisville, KY after a majority of the 37 workers in all three departments demonstrated support for unionization with Teamsters Local 89
- 2 workers at Keolis Transit Service in Leesburg, VA filed a petition to hold a union election with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689
- Workers likely pushed by their employer filed a petition to decertify the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) as the union representing 5 workers at Miller Painting Company in Savannah, GA
- Workers likely pushed by their employer filed a petition to decertify the Teamsters Local 667 as the union representing 47 workers at Waste Management Inc of Tennessee in Memphis, TN (the company has retained Littler Mendelson as counsel)
- 35 workers at Barter Theatre in Abingdon, VA filed a petition to hold a union election with the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE) (the employer filed a separate petition, I’m assuming for the same unit, that only counts 24 people in the bargaining unit, excluding some types of workers that the union’s petition includes)
- 12 workers at Live Nation in Louisville, KY filed a petition to hold a union election with IATSE Local 17
- The employer filed petitions to hold 4 union elections after a majority of the 664 workers total at each Breakthru Beverage location in Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and Ft Myers, FL demonstrated support for unionization with the Teamsters Local 947
- 215 workers at UNFI in Atlanta, GA demanded recognition from the company with the Teamsters
Campaign Updates
- Trucking company MBM Logistics, affiliated with logistics companies DHL Express and VMW Express, has hired two out-of-state “union avoidance” professionals for $3,750/day to discourage its drivers in Orlando and other Florida cities from unionizing with the Teamsters.
Election Results
- Decertification petitions were withdrawn or dismissed across 4 bargaining units covering 150 people, 2 election petitions were withdrawn covering 10 people, 1891 workers are in 8 newly unionized workplaces, and 155 workers are in 4 workplaces that voted against unionization
- 3 decertification petitions were withdrawn, covering:
- 34 workers at Lion Oil in Tyler, TX represented by the USW
- 34 workers at Derek Refining in Tyler, TX represented by the USW
- 60 workers at Pepsico in Tulsa, OK represented by Teamsters Local 886
- 8 workers at Battleground Texas in Dallas, TX who were seeking to be represented by the United Professional Organizers (UPO) withdrew their petition for a union election
- 51 workers at International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Abilene, TX withdrew their petition for a union election with the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 277 because they received voluntary recognition
- 17 workers at Starbucks in Little Rock, AR voted in favor of unionization with Starbucks Workers United
- 5 workers at IKEA in Ponce, PR voted in favor of unionization with the IAMAW
- 22 workers at Appalachian Power in Charleston, WV voted in favor of unionization with IBEW Local 978
- 12 security guards at Brinks in Salem, VA voted against unionization with the Armored Personnel Services Union (APSU)
- 50 workers at MOST Inc in Troy, MO voted against unionization with the United Auto Workers (UAW)
- 60 workers at Sibelco in Spruce Pine, NC voted against unionization with the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA)
- 2 workers at Prime Communications Retail in Montgomery, AL withdrew their petition for unionization with the CWA
- 33 workers at SIXT Rent a Car in Miami, FL voted against unionization with the Teamsters Local 769
- 403 workers at Genera PR – an energy company – in San Juan, PR voted in favor of unionization with the USW
- 67 workers at Consolidated Waste Services in Carolina, PR voted in favor of unionization with Central General de Trabajadores
- 26 workers at Jewish Family Services of St Louis in St Louis, MO voted in favor of unionization with CWA Local 6400
- The NLRB dismissed a decertification petition at Starbucks in Shavano Park, TX – the 22 workers remain represented by Starbucks Workers United
- 1300 workers at DHL in Northern Kentucky organized with the Teamsters Local 89 and were voluntarily recognized by the company
Settlements, Grievances, & Unfair Labor Practices
- Members of Teamsters Local 667 in McKinney, TX rallied to demand UPS begin to deliver on their promise to provide UPS drivers with air conditioned vehicles after a member of their union was in a heat related crash – he told management he was experiencing symptoms of illness, but instead of directing the driver to a hospital, management told him to come to the facility. He passed out on the way there and crashed. This is the third heat related incident at McKinney in recent months
- Lee Brass Manufacturing closed suddenly in Anniston, AL, leaving 128 people with no job, with no notice, and with unpaid wages
- ALdotcom has a report on how many millions of dollars Huntsville has paid out in settlements with workers over the past 10 years
- Union workers at a hotel owned by West Virginia Governor Jim Justice say he is $2.4M behind on insurance payments
Strikes & Bargaining
- After a long and brutal lockout by the nation’s largest labor union – the National Education Association (NEA) – their union staff finally secured and ratified a new 3 year contract, ending the lockout, and got the workers raises, 8 weeks of paid parental leave, maintains telework, and more
- National negotiations between Costco and the Teamsters, covering some 18,000 workers, began and were suspended by the union not long after because Costco won’t agree to a card check provision for currently nonunion Costco workers, with the union slamming the company for empty pro worker rhetoric and calling attention to the huge revenue and profits of the company
- Meanwhile, 300 Costco workers in Virginia – who in December voted to join Teamsters Local 822 – voted to be covered under said national contract and ongoing national contract negotiations
- CWA’s Bird Union – workers at the National Audobon Society – are going on strike after management has failed to agree to a fair first contract. The strike is set to begin on September 10 and the union has set up a GoFundMe
- Teamsters continue negotiations for technicians at United Airlines, claiming it is a bottom-up contract campaign unlike anything ever assembled at United Airlines. The union is demanding industry leading wages and an industry leading contract
- Machinists (in IAM District Lodge 141) are in the middle of contract negotiations with American Airlines, and held an information session with some members last week
- Barnaby’s Cafe in Houston, TX suddenly cut wages for wait staff abruptly, and illegally instructed them not to discuss the new pay changes with their fellow workers
- Members of 1199 SEIU Florida held an informational picket outside Aspire Health Group nursing homes in Orlando, FL to bring attention to staffing and other issues they are wanting to resolve in their ongoing contract negotiations
- In a potentially worrying sign, Starbucks has abruptly ousted the CEO who agreed to a framework for national negotiations with Starbucks Workers United and installed former Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol who fought unions aggressively at his former company. He will be commuting to Seattle from his home in California – 1,000 miles round trip – via private jet as needed instead of relocating
- Longshore workers on the east coast – including in South Carolina and Mobile, AL organized with the International Longshore Association (ILA) are nearing a strike and have submitted a 60 day strike notice the
- 17,000 CWA members at AT&T are on strike in the Southeast over unfair labor practices. While remaining on strike, the union and AT&T have entered federal mediation
- Right before the district wide strike a couple of CWA locals in South Carolina and Alabama went on a grievance strike. The South Carolina local at least ended the strike just before they went back out when district went on strike
- Nurses at the Corpus Christi Medical Center, unionized with National Nurses United, are working under an expired contract since June 30, and held an informational picket last week to inform the public about issues they want to address in a new contract
- The USW announced a landmark neutrality agreement with solar manufacturer Convalt Energy
- The newly elected UAW bargaining team at Volkswagen in Chattanooga, TN has begun receiving training. Negotiations will begin soon
- The UAW is threatening company wide strike action if Stellantis doesn’t follow through on re-opening the Belvidere assembly plant in Illinois. They are also calling on the CEO to resign
- The National Women’s Soccer League Players Association just ratified a new collective bargaining agreement, with significant gains
- UNITE HERE released a traveler’s guide to possible strikes ahead of the busy labor day weekend that includes a map with hotels that are under an active boycott or where there is a strike risk, which includes many in the south
- Nurses with National Nurses United held actions across the country to demand the VA end their hiring freeze
- Nurses – unionized with National Nurses United – at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital in Kissimmee, FL, held an informational picket to protest the administration’s refusal to address RNs’ deep concerns about patient care and safe staffing
- UE Local 150 members working for Charlotta and Durham, NC city governments just won the largest raises in years, with the minimum wage increasing to $23/hr, the average raise each employee will get being $8,000, up to $15,000
- AFA-CWA flight attendants at Frontier began taking a strike vote over an un-negotiated change in working conditions.
Political & Legislative
- US House Democrats are demanding OSHA respond to allegations that it is not enforcing federal labor laws, including child labor laws, in California and South Carolina, and allegations that it is tipping off employers before they go investigate a site
- A TX federal judge, a Trump appointee, blocked the Federal Trade Commission’s ban on noncompete clauses from taking affect – don’t expect JD Vance or Trump to say anything about this, despite supposedly supporting a ban on noncompete
- The labor and delivery department at Grove Hill Memorial Hospital closed. Mothers in southwest Alabama now face drives of over an hour to receive essential maternity care. Reportedly, more rural birthing units may close in the coming months – it’s time to expand Medicaid.
- The Alabama AFL-CIO had their political committee convention endorsing in several races, including, controversially among some delegates, Republican Congressperson Barry Moore
- The Virginia AFL-CIO also had their convention, but I can’t really find anything about what happened at it
- The Teamsters National Black Caucus endorsed Kamala Harris for President, even as the international union has abstained from endorsing so far
- The Teamsters won a groundbreaking decision against Amazon, with the NLRB finding that Amazon is a joint employer of it’s drivers (who are officially hired by subcontracted Delivery Service Providers) and must bargain with these employees when they unionize. This wouldn’t have happened without General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, who Josh Hawley, big buds with Sean O’Brien, voted against confirming to her post
- The UAW is launching a major campaign to defeat Trump and elect Harris in November
- The UE released a statement in support of the UAW against the smears of anti-semitism as both unions call for a ceasefire in Gaza
- Even as Teamsters President Sean O’Brien pouts about not getting invited to speak, the DNC had speakers from an array of unions – including the Teamsters! Also speaking were the presidents of the UAW, LIUNA, CWA, IBEW, AFT, NEA, and more
- A new report is out with Alabama at the bottom. This time, in poverty support
Internal Union Affairs
- The IAMAW touted carrying its new Basic Training for Organizers to Daleville, AL, and training up rank and file members from across District 75
- The President of a Teamsters union in Miami, FL (Local 769), sent Sean OBrien a letter saying he is “completely disappointed and appalled at your decision to court one of the most anti-union, anti-worker politicians in history, Donald Trump”
- UE 150, representing public sector workers in North Carolina, held their 13th biennial convention, with a focus on organizing the south
- AFGE held it’s national convention, with President Everett Kelley (from Alabama) winning re-election with 59% of the vote. Eric Bunn was elected to the National Secretary-Treasurer position and Kendrick Roberson is now the National Vice President for Women and Fair Practices
- The CWA held their Human Rights Conference in Houston this year