Last Week in Southern Labor: 12/6 – 12/20

Jacob Morrison

Here’s what workers in the US South and the colonies were up to from December 6 to December 20

New Campaigns

  • 19 workers at Vestis – a uniform company – in Vinton, VA filed a petition to hold a union election with the Teamsters Local 171 
  • 5 workers at Chase, Carson, and White LLC – a project management company – in Spring Lake, NC filed a petition to hold a union election with the Industrial Technical Professional Employees Union (ITPEU-OPEIU Local 4873), as did 3 workers at a location in Research Triangle Park, NC
  • 9 workers at OQ Chemical in Bay City, TX filed a petition to hold a union election with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 564
  • 14 workers at Petsmart in Florissant, MO filed a petition to hold a union election with the Teamsters Local 688
  • Workers likely pushed by their employer filed a petition to decertify the United Steel Workers (USW) Local 834-01 as the union representing 9 workers at Earle M Jorgensen Company – a metal distributor and processor – in Orlando, FL
  • Workers at Prime Flight Aviation Services in Orlando, PR filed a petition to hold a union election with the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU)
  • Workers at United Pacific in St Louis, MO filed a petition to hold a union election with the Teamsters Local 618
  • Workers at Joe Hudson’s Collision Center in St Robert, MO filed a petition to hold a union election with an unnamed union
  • 120 workers at Titan Concrete in Fort Lauderdale, FL filed a petition to hold a union election with an unnamed union 
  • 14 workers at Standard Iron and Steel in Webb City, MO filed a petition to hold a union election with an unnamed union

Election Results

  • Graduate workers at Vanderbilt withdrew their petition for a union election with the UAW after a judge ruled against the NLRB’s election proceedings, also fearing potential rulings from a future Trump NLRB. The new landscape is foreboding for the newly burgeoning graduate worker union movement
  • 18 workers at Starbucks in Roswell, GA voted unanimously in favor of unionization with Starbucks Workers United
  • 69 workers at Evergreen Shipping Agency in Dallas, TX voted 49 to 17 in favor of unionization with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 63
  • 306 workers at Logan Regional Medical Center in Logan, WV voted 185 to 35 in favor of unionization with the USW 
  • 38 workers at Compass Connections in Harlingen, TX voted 29 to 8 in favor of unionization with the Teamsters Local 657
  • 350 workers at UNFI (or was it UNIFI?) in Atlanta, GA filed a petition to hold a union election with the National Employees International Union and then withdrew the petition in the same week

Settlements, Grievances, & Unfair Labor Practices

  • The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) secured a settlement on behalf of its members – wrongfully terminated dancers at Dallas Black Dance Theatre in Dallas, TX – of approximately half a million dollars for the affected workers, and more. The union continues to negotiate for a first contract with the company 
  • The Department of Labor secured a settlement with Amazon requiring the company to develop plans to address ergonomic issues at its facilities and pay a penalty of $145k for previous citations in that area

Strikes & Bargaining

  • Members of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) are voting on their tentative agreement with the postal service. December 20th was the first day to request a duplicate ballot if something happened to your first ballot, and you can call 202-393-0614 to request that or to request an initial ballot if you haven’t received one by the 19th. 
  • Teamsters Local 767 at Danone Dairy in Ft Worth, TX are holding practice pickets, demanding a strong contract from the international food conglomerate. From the Teamsters press release: “The employer is fighting workers over hours of work, forced overtime, safety standards, pay raises, improved health care, and the length of the agreement. Danone North America amassed more than $1.7 billion in sales revenue in the third quarter, with much of the wealth generated by Dannon yogurt, made by Teamsters”
  • Pilots at Allegiant Airlines – unionized with the Teamsters Local 2118 – held practice pickets in Iowa and Florida. The 1300 pilots previously voted by 97.4% to authorize a strike
  • An Orlando, FL restaurant informed its workers on 8pm Monday night via email that the restaurant would not be opening the next day and that they were all jobless, as is common in the restaurant industry
  • Following the Machinists Union’s win at Boeing in the Pacific Northwest, workers at the company’s South Carolina nonunion plant secured an immediate 9% raise and $12,000 retention bonus, illustrating the value of unionization not just to members, but to the whole industry
  • The United Auto Workers (UAW) secured a neutrality agreement from Rivian, which was key for the company to receive a $6B subsidy from the federal government. However, it only kicks in if the company becomes profitable
  • Donald Trump appears to be prepared to violate collective bargaining agreements that agencies have made with their workers, particularly around telework, vowing to fire workers who don’t come into the office
  • After workers at Mersen in Columbia, TN won a union election with the CWA’s industrial division, the company hired Jackson Lewis, a notorious union busting law firm. Shortly after, on November 25th, the company laid off 80% of its staff. On December 15th, the company announced that layoffs of 25% of the workforce would be permanent. This coupled with the increased hiring of temporary workers illustrates that these decisions are aimed at union busting, not economics. The union is calling on elected officials to hold the company accountable an revoke the half million dollars in tax incentives from the company if they continue breaking the law
  • Piedmont Passenger Service and Ramp Workers are picketing the company at locations across the country, including in Washington, D.C.; and Norfolk, Va, for a fair contract. Despite bargaining for over a year, the company has not agreed to satisfactory terms on wages or healthcare, and many workers rely on government assistance
  • Teamsters went on strike at 7 Amazon locations across the country, the largest work stoppage against Amazon in the company’s history. The struck locations include Atlanta in the South, and the union extended pickets across the country, including here in Huntsville, stopping and delaying shipments from union logistics companies like UPS
  • Starbucks workers have begun to strike nationwide as well, adopting the UAW tactic of starting at a few locations and spreading across the country. The Scottsboro, AL location will strike on Christmas eve
  • United Airlines Flight Attendants – unionized with the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) engaged in informational picketing last weekend as the company continues to delay on coming to a fair contract
  • Members of RWDSU in Louisa, KY ratified a new contract with 10% raises, a $1,500 bonus, and bringing in contracted work

Political & Legislative

  • Trump is again proposing privatization of the postal service, something his first administration also proposed
  • Last year, the Alabama legislature eliminated the state income tax on overtime wages. This has apparently cost more than was anticipated, according to the Senate budget chair, and they are trying to lay the groundwork to reinstate this tax on working people, instead of getting needed revenue from the rich
  • A couple of tests for Democrats are emerging after the election. One is the DNC chair race, where the AFL-CIO has put out a set of principles that the future chair should abide by, centering the economy, connections to working people, and an all state all year organizing approach. Ben Wickler from Wisconsin seems most likely to fit the bill. Another test is the ranking position on the oversight committee, where AOC is gunning for the top Democrat spot, saying she would aim not only to engage in political oversight, but economic oversight, targeting corporations. Nancy Pelosi is intervening on behalf of septuagenarian Gerry Conolloy, who has throat cancer
  • Following the killing of the United Health Insurance CEO, a bill was introduced in the US Senate to break up UnitedHealth, CVS, and Cigna by forcing insurers to sell pharmacy businesses
  • A judge blocked the merger of Kroger and Albertson’s, in a big win for Lina Khan, even as Trump has just announced he will fire her and replace her with a pro-corporate anti-woke ideologue
  • Quickly following this win, the FTC filed a lawsuit against Southern Glazier’s, a large wine and spirit distributor, alleging that they overcharge smaller independent businesses relative to large chains
  • Twenty plus unions have formed the Fairfax Jobs Coalition in support of an entertainment district in Northern Virginia that would include a convention center, concert venue, hotel, restaurants, retail, workforce housing, and casino because this project offers the prospect of good union jobs. In an unprecedented move, the developer has signed agreements with labor that could mean more than 5,000 union jobs in the county. A Labor Peace Agreement (LPA) gives more than 3,000 permanent service, hospitality and retail workers the right to unionize. And a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) covers 2,000 construction jobs through which residents can gain lifelong careers with union apprenticeships.
  • A coalition of business owners are trying to overturn the will of the voters in Missouri and strike back a citizen approved minimum wage increase in the courts
  • The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) opposes the elimination of the Department of Education, where it represents some 3,000 workers, citing the critical work their members at the Department do like the administration of the Head Start program, providing professional development for educators, and more. This as the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) demurred on the question, saying that their union doesn’t care as long as the money gets to communities. 
  • A North Dakota judge issued a ruling keeping undocumented immigrants in 19 states – including Alabama – from utilizing the ACA market place
  • Legislation that “would establish “appropriate limits on the federally compelled disclosure of information obtained as part of engaging in journalism” and limit federal law enforcement surveillance of journalists” was killed in the US Senate by Senator Tom Cotton
  • Factions within the Alabama Democratic Party continue fighting, with former US Senator Doug Jones saying that the current leadership doesn’t have a plan and needs to be voted out, with the current leadership retorting that no one has ever had a plan, so there! 
  • The US Senate, including supposedly pro worker JD Vance and Josh Hawley, voted against reconfirming Lauren McFerran to the NLRB, giving Trump the ability to appoint a majority to the board once he takes office
  • The 38th state ratified the Equal Rights Amendment, and labor union women are calling on Biden to certify and publish the amendment into the constitution

Internal Union Affairs

  • From the Kansas City Star: “A former officer of the Kansas City-based International Brotherhood of Boilermakers has pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy in an alleged $20 million embezzlement scheme involving union funds.”