Here’s what workers in the US South and the colonies were up to from October 4 to October 11
New Campaigns
- 21 workers at Aimbridge Hospitality in Washington, DC filed a petition to hold a union election with UNITE HERE Local 25
- 7 workers at Lush Cosmetics in Saint Louis, MO filed a petition to hold a union election with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 655
- 24 workers at Pro Tec Fire Services in San Antonio, TX filed a petition to hold a union election with the Kelly Airfield Professional Firefighters Local I-107 (unclear if this is an IAFF affiliate but that’s my guess)
- 175 workers at Siemens in Fort Worth, TX filed a petition to hold a union election with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 220
- 67 workers at Environmental Air Systems in High Point, NC filed a petition to hold a union election with the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA) Local 421, as did 38 workers at another location in the same city
- 950 workers – doctoral and masters students – at George Washington University in Washington DC filed a petition to hold a union election with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 500
- 13 workers at Starbucks in Norman, OK filed a petition to hold a union election with Starbucks Workers United
- Drivers with zTrip – the Kansas City IRIS microtransit program – launched a campaign for living wages and the right to form a union without retaliation. They held a rally on Thursday, at which Bill George, the CEO of zTrip, and Terry O’Toole, the company’s general manager, came to the rally to yell at participants. He called the demonstration “a charade”
- The Florida Federation of Police (FOP) is attempting to raid the Florida Police Benevolent Association (PBA) at the City of Bartow, FL
Election Results
- 7 workers at Skookum in Washington DC filed a petition to hold a union election with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 99, but withdrew the petition in the same week
- 60 workers at Mersen USA GSTN Corp in Columbia, TN voted 39 to 13 in favor of unionization with the Communication Workers of America (CWA)
- 12 workers at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) in Dallas, TX voted 7 to 0 in favor of unionization with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW)
- 10 workers at Big Sandy Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation in Paintsville, KY voted 2 to 6 against unionization with IBEW Local 317
- 7 workers at Pye Barker Fire and Safety in Bowling Green, KY voted 4 to 3 in favor of unionization with the UA’s Road Sprinkler Fitters Local 669
- 7 workers at Wells Fargo in Anniston, AL voted in favor of unionization with Wells Fargo Workers United CWA
- 889 workers at Seminole County Public Schools in Stanford, FL voted 75 to 0 in favor of recertifying the Seminole Educational Clerical Association as their union
- 554 workers at Citrus County Public Schools in Inverness, FL voted 109 to 14 in favor of recertifying the Citrus County Education Association as their union
- 302 workers at Hardee County Public Schools in Wauchula, FL voted 125 to 7 in favor of recertifying the Hardee Education Association as their union
- 253 workers at Gadsden County Public Schools in Quincy, FL voted 102 to 1 in favor of recertifying the Gadsden Education Staff Professional Association as their union
- 132 workers at the School Board of Duval County in Jacksonville, FL voted 33 to 1 in favor of recertifying the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 630 as their union
- 293 solid waste and public workers workers at the City of Jacksonville in Jacksonville, FL voted 136 to 5 in favor of recertifying the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1279 as their union
- 1771 other blue and white collar workers at the City of Jacksonville in Jacksonville, FL voted 225 to 53 in favor of re-unionizing with AFSCME Local 1279 after their union was previously decertified
- 627 workers at Polk County Public Schools in Bartow, FL voted 145 to 7 in favor of recertifying AFSCME as their union
Strikes & Bargaining
- CWA Local 3645, which represents passenger service workers at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, is pushing for more buses for its members for before and after work
- On Tuesday, October 8, Richmond public sector workers represented by Teamsters Local 322 will rally at city hall to demand Mayor Levar Stoney and his administration get serious and offer these essential workers a fair agreement
- Stellantis just spent another $1.1B on stock buybacks as they claim “market conditions” prohibit them from making the investments they promised in their contract with the UAW, and more UAW locals are authorizing strike action in response
- Nurses unionized with National Nurses United (NNU) at Del Sol and Las Palmas Medical Centers in El Paso, TX voted to ratify new 3 year contracts with up to 25% wage increases and improved language on staffing
- NNU nurses at the VA in Martinsburg, WV held an informational picket to highlight the administration’s refusal to bargain with nurses over improving patient care
- NNU nurses at Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC voted to ratify a new 3 year agreement with up to 29% raises and improved staffing language
Political & Legislative
- Members of UE Local 150 from Raleigh and Durham, NC visited the Cuban Embassy last week to learn about their hurricane preparedness
- The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is applauding a new proposed regulation to align locality adjustments for different types of federal workers