Here’s what workers in the US South and the colonies were up to from August 30 to September 6
New Campaigns
- 599 workers in 10 bargaining units are in new union campaigns, 15 workers in one unit started and stopped a union campaign, 22 workers in one unit are in a raid, and 74 workers in one unit are in a decertification campaign
- 267 workers at UNFI in Sarasota, FL are demanding voluntary recognition with the Teamsters Local 79
- 121 workers at International Rescue Committee in Atlanta, GA filed a petition to hold a union election with the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 179 (OPEIU is on a tear organizing at this company – listen to our interview with IRC workers in Abilene, TX just ahead of the company voluntarily recognizing their union)
- 64 workers at Rivers Casino in Portsmouth, VA filed a petition to hold a union election with the Teamsters Local 822
- 43 workers at BEAT LLC in San Antonio, TX filed a petition to hold a union election with OPEIU Local 4873
- 19 workers at Starbucks in Orlando, FL filed a petition to hold a union election with Starbucks Workers United
- 15 workers at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) in Leesburg, VA filed a petition to hold a union election with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW)
- The United Government Security Officers of America Local 387 is trying to raid a unit of 22 security guards at Allied Universal Security Services in Washington DC from Union Rights for Security Officers (URSO)
- 8 workers at Beyel Bros in Jonesboro, GA filed a petition to hold a union election with the International Union of operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 926
- 7 workers at Northwood Health Systems in New Martinsville, WV filed a petition to hold a union election with Northwood Workers Union
- Workers likely pushed by their employer – and aided by the National Right to Work Foundation – filed a petition to decertify the Teamsters Local 988 as the union representing 74 workers at PepsiCo in Houston, TX
- 53 workers at Sygma Network in Kansas City, MO filed a petition to hold a union election with the Teamsters Local 955
- 15 workers at Herc Entertainment Services in Atlanta, GA filed and then withdrew in the same week a petition to hold a union election with the Teamsters Local 728
- 2 workers at Avis Rental Service in Louisville, KY filed a petition to hold a union election with the Teamsters Local 89
Election Results
- 1,119 workers in 5 bargaining units are newly unionized, 20 workers in one unit withdrew their election petition, and 5 workers in one uniti voted against unionization
- 1,000 workers at Ultium Cells in Spring Hill, TN have been voluntarily recognized by the company as they unionized with the United Auto Workers (UAW)
- 46 workers at the Texas Freedom Network in Austin, TX withdrew their petition for a union election with the United Professional Organizers because, according to the union in correspondence with The Valley Labor Report, they secured voluntary recognition.
- 20 workers at Didlake in Virginia Beach, VA withdrew their petition for a union election with the Public Service Employees Local Union 572 (an affiliate of LIUNA)
- 11 workers at Starbucks in Clearwater, FL voted 8 to 1 in favor of unionization with Starbucks Workers United
- 30 workers at a Kroger Fulfillment Center in Forest Park, GA voted 24 to 1 in favor of unionization with the Teamsters Local 528
- 32 workers at Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center in Athens, GA voted 20 to 9 in favor of unionization with IUOE Local 926
- 5 workers at Ryder Transportation in Elizabethtown, KY voted 2 to 3 against unionization with the Teamsters Local 89
Strikes & Bargaining
- The SPLC Union has a lengthy statement on Facebook and Twitter about the lingering effects of the massive layoffs in June, with several statements from former clients
- CWA withdrew from mediations last week after saying that AT&T was only using mediation as a stall tactic, and was still not bargaining in good faith. Subsequently, the company responded with a full offer for the first time in negotiations according to the CWA, and told the union they would keep negotiating, and then went around and told the media it was the final offer. The CWA insists that the offer does not meet economic demands and that it continues to be committing the unfair labor practices which the union charged the company with
- Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) members at United Airlines voted 99% in favor of authorizing a strike if necessary, demanding an “industry leading contract”
- Meanwhile, Teamsters at United Airlines (aircraft maintenance workers), are also in negotiations and held rallies across the country to demand a fair contract
- Workers at the National Audubon Society, an environmental conservation organization, where workers are unionized with the Bird Union CWA Local 1180, charged and the NLRB agreed that the company is not bargaining in good faith. In response, the union will begin a 3 day strike next week, and the company is joining Tesla in arguing the the NLRB is unconstitutional
- After a one day unfair labor practice strike in May, staff at the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) international union in DC – unionized with the NewsGuild Local 32035 – ratified a contract last week with higher wages, more telework, and more leave
- Almost immediately after the Apple Retail Union – CWA Local 6016 – held an informational picket in front of the Apple Retail Store where they work in Oklahoma city and authorized a strike to protest the lengthy contract negotiations (2 years!), the bargaining committee secured a tentative agreement containing job protections, increased wages, and health insurance, becoming only the second Apple store in the US to have a union contract. Members will vote on the contract on 22 September
- Nurses at Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC voted 97% in favor to authorize the bargaining team to call a strike if necessary as they say management is refusing to budge on key issues
Political & Legislative
- Service workers, city workers, airport workers, Farmworkers from across North Carolina gathered last week with the Durham Workers Assembly to demand the NC DOL pass OSHA guidelines to keep workers safe from heat illness. Their testimonies included one of a worker who passed out from heat exhaustion in July
- Kamala Harris has agreed to participate in a roundtable with the Teamsters
- The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) put out a statement about the shooting in a Georgia school last week, mourning those affected and condemning politicians who oppose any form of gun control
- Alabama lawmakers put the head of the Department of Corrections in the hot seat last week over continued violence in state prisons
- One Alabama lawmaker wants to further restrict unemployment benefits in the state, which already has some of the most ungenerous policies in the country
- The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), which represents many federal firefighters, says the job classifications do not accurately reflect the responsibilities of its members, and as a result they are not properly compensated
- Biden officially proposed a measly 2% pay increase for federal employees, less than the average raise this year of 5.2%, and less than the average raise the year before of 4.6%, and despite the consumer price index having increased 2.9% over the last year. This falls well below the proposal from congressional Democrats of 7.4%. Federal unions criticized the proposal
- The Alabama Political Reporter reached out for a response from the President of the North Alabama Area Labor Council to Gov Ivey’s Labor Day message. My response: If Ivey wanted to thank Alabama’s workers, she could start by standing with her CWA constituents striking against AT&T – a giant multi-billion dollar corporation- but I won’t be holding my breath.
- AFGE President Everett Kelley panned Elon Musk’s idea of a Department of Government Efficiency as just a way to make Musk and his friends richer