Last Week in Southern Labor: 3/28 – 4/4

Jacob Morrison

Here’s what workers in the US South and the colonies were up to from March 28 to April 4

All information on Florida’s public sector union elections comes from McKenna Schueler’s monthly round up of Florida union news. You can check it out on her website, caringclassrevolt.substack.com, where you can get more information about Florida labor as well as exclusive details about union elections referenced here.

New Campaigns

  • 24 workers at ProKel Mobility in Jacksonville, FL filed a petition to hold a union election with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW)
  • 19 workers at Starbucks in Lawrenceville, GA filed a petition to hold a union election with Starbucks Workers United
  • 13 workers at Hydro Evac in McDonough, GA filed a petition to hold a union election with IUOE Local 926
  • A union going by the name of Amalgamated Workers Local 298, an affiliate of the International Union of Allied Novelty and Production Workers (which is an AFL-CIO affiliate despite sounding very sketch) is attempting to raid a unit of 86 workers employed by the city of Port St. Lucie, FL who are currently represented by the Federation of Public Employees (another AFLCIO affiliate!) McKenna noted that the raiding union is based in New York and has never represented workers in Florida before
  • 45 Firefighters for Desoto County Fire Rescue in Arcadia, FL filed a petition to unionize with the Suncoast Professional Firefighters & Paramedics (IAFF Local 2546)
  • Workers likely pushed by their employer filed a petition to decertify IUE-CWA Local 83697 as the union representing 63 workers at Alutrim North America in Lebanon, KY
  • 4 workers at MTM Transit in Stuart, FL filed a petition to hold a union election with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1577
  • 8 workers at Leidos in Merritt Island, FL filed a petition to hold a union election with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 2088
  • 4 supervisory workers for Desoto County Fire Rescue in Arcadia, FL have also filed a petition to unionize with IAFF Local 2546 (they have to have a separate election from the folks they supervise because that places them in a different bargaining unit)
  • 13 workers at United Parks and Resorts in Orlando, FL filed a petition to hold a union election with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 30

Election Results

  • 718 workers employed by the Manatee County school district in Bradenton, FL voted 224 to 11 in favor of recertifying the Manatee Education Association
  • 5 workers at Atlantis Health Care Group in Saint Just, PR voted 2 to 3 against unionization with the Union General de Trabajadores, SEIU, Local 1199, however 3 workers for the same company in another Puerto Rican city (Fajardo) voted 2 to 0 in favor of unionization with the same union
  • 93 workers at DAJCOR Aluminum in Chavies, KY voted 30 to 59 against unionization with the United Steel Workers (USW) 
  • 92 workers employed by the University of West Florida in Pensacola, FL voted 13 to 2 in favor of unionizing with the Independent Association of Public and Private Employees (IAPPE)
  • 24 workers at Starbucks in Katy, TX voted 10 to 10 in a union election with Starbucks Workers United, and ties go to the employer 
  • 493 workers employed by the Jackson County school district in Marianna, FL voted 197 to 12 in favor of recertifying the Jackson County Education Association 
  • 19 workers at the American Red Cross in Tulsa, Oklahoma unionized with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) 
  • 11 workers at Sertec in Alexandria, VA withdrew their petition for a union election with the United Association of Plumbers and Steamfitters (UA) Local 602 & Local 5
  • 67 workers at National Gypsum in Pryor, OK withdrew their petition for a union election with USW Local 13-1141
  • 6 cops at the Fort Walton Police Department in Fort Walton Beach, FL voted 1 to 0 in favor of unionizing with the Florida Police Benevolent Association (PBA)
  • 11 cops at the Belleview Police Department in Belleview, FL voted 6 to 1 in favor of unionizing with the Florida State Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)
  • 31 cops at the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office in Port Saint Lucie, FL voted 23 to 1 in favor of unionizing with the Palm Beach County PBA
  • 275 workers employed by St. Lucie County in Port St. Lucie, FL voted 112 to 6 in favor of recertifying the Teamsters Local 769
  • 175 workers employed by the city of Delray Beach, FL voted 114 to 1 in favor of recertifying the Service Employees International Union-Florida Public Sector Union (SEIU-FPSU) 
  • 147 supervisory non-instructional employees of the Broward County school district in Fort Lauderdale, FL voted 94 to 3 in favor of recertifying the Broward Teachers Union
  • 377 workers at the Broward County school district in Fort Lauderdale, FL also voted 228 to 0 in favor of recertifying the Broward Teachers Union 
  • 299 workers at the Suwannee County school district in Live Oak, FL voted 31 to 7 in favor of recertifying the United Teachers of Suwannee County 
  • 317 workers employed by the city of Coral Gables, FL voted 172 to 6 in favor of recertifying the Teamsters Local 769 
  • 424 workers employed by Sumter County school district in Bushnell, FL voted 132 to 3 in favor of recertifying the Sumter County Essential Support Personnel 
  • 15 workers employed by Broward County’s Department of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale voted 4 to 0 in favor of recertifying the Federation of Public Employees
  • 72 workers employed by the city of Miami Gardens voted 5 to 0 in favor of recertifying the Federation of Public Employees

Grievances, Unfair Labor Practices, & Court Cases

  • As you remember, the Trump administration issued an executive order purporting to take away union rights for most federal workers. On April 4th, several unions filed a lawsuit against the order, alleging that the order is illegal because it is in retaliation for first amendment protected speech and that the order over broadly applies the national security exemption in the Civil Service Reform Act.  
  • The Maryland father who was kidnapped by ICE and taken to the El Salvador prison camp turned out to be a union member – a first year apprentice of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers Union (SMART). The union put out a statement calling on the government to have him returned, and they have supported rallies to demonstrate support for his return. The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) also put out a statement condemning his abduction and the broader actions by ICE – so far at least 6 of the people abducted have been union members.

Strikes & Bargaining

  • Workers at Starbucks won a core bargaining demand – the ability to pause mobile orders when it gets busy. Another win for Starbucks Workers United! 
  • Layoffs continue to be rolled out in the federal government. Last week, 900 workers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). In response to these firings, the AFLCIO said, “NIOSH is a highly skilled and efficient agency that delivers critical health and safety expertise for both workers and employers—protecting workers in some of the most dangerous industries, like coal mining, firefighting, construction, and health care—and is responsible for providing medical monitoring and services to 9/11 responders and survivors. Firing the NIOSH workforce sets up a domino effect of serious and dangerous consequences: the government will no longer research emerging health hazards, methods to prevent mine explosions, or certify the safety of respirators and other critical personal protective equipment. This action is a gift to corporations”
  • Manufacturing workers at GE Aerospace – unionized with IUE-CWA – held a nationwide day of action last week – including from Local 83701 in Madisonville, KY – as they bargain for a contract with increased wages, retirement security, an end to offshoring, and more. 
  • CWA members at AT&T Southwest have voted to authorize a strike if necessary, and have been demonstrating their support for the bargaining team on the job
  • Flight Attendants at PSA Airlines – unionized with the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) – held pickets nationwide to demand a fair contract. They’ve been bargaining for 2 years and recently voted 99% to authorize a strike
  • Video game workers at ZeniMax voted by 94% to authorize a strike if the company continues to stall at the bargaining table. Workers there are unionized with Zenimax Workers United – CWA
  • Nurses organized with National Nurses United (NNUA) at the Palmetto General Hospital in Hialeah, FL, held a rally to protest the new ownership of their hospital (Hospital Systems of America) and their mistreatment of nurses and attempt to disregard their union contract
  • NNU nurses held a rally outside the Durham, NC VA last week to protest proposed cuts from the Trump administration
  • Following an overwhelming 99.5 percent rejection of United Airlines’ latest unrealistic proposal, United Airlines Teamsters aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs) rallied outside Orlando International Airport (MCO) after a week of contract negotiations in Orlando, demanding a fair contract

Political & Legislative

  • Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the US House to overturn Trump’s executive order ending federal worker union rights, to applause from the AFL-CIO and federal unions
  • Workers across the country are hitting the streets in their cities on Saturday, April 5 to protest the actions of the Trump administration, with many major unions endorsing the day of action, including the nation’s trade federation – the AFL-CIO 
  • Tariffs hit the world in a big way. Unions, historically supportive of tariffs, have been hesitant to full throatedly endorse these actions due to their being slapped together slipshod like. The UAW has been more unreservedly supportive, but the AFL-CIO noted in their statement that while “the strategic use of tariffs can be an effective tool to support our industries and protect jobs at home… they must be accompanied by policies that invest in our manufacturing base and a strong commitment to promoting workers’ fundamental right to organize trade unions and bargain collectively”
  • The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) is raising the alarm about actions from the Trump administration that could have devastating impacts on miners: the destruction of OSHA, MSHA, and NIOSH, and tariffs that could hurt coal exports.
  • Alabama’s Governor signed a bill into law that will give state employees and teachers paid parental leave. For mothers, 8 weeks, and fathers, 2 weeks after childbirth, adoption, stillbirth, or miscarriage
  • 200 workers at GE in Louisville, KY – and members of IUE-CWA Local 83761 – received notices this week that they have been targeted for deportation by the Trump Administration & must leave the country by April 24. Their union said in a statement, “these workers came to this country legally and are hard-working, tax-paying members of our community, raising their families and living their lives peacefully. They come to work every day at GE/Haier to build appliances for the American people. They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect… Blaming immigrants is an age-old trick to create fear and distract us from the takeover of our economy by billionaires.” The union also called on the administration to restore their status immediately. The Kentucky AFL-CIO also put out a statement supporting the affected migrants
  • Legislation has been introduced to defund PBS and NPR – public media workers who are organized with the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET-CWA) protested these proposals and noted that “funding for local, independent public TV and radio stations is essential to providing trusted, important local news and weather, beloved children’s programming, and much more.”
  • The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act was introduced in Congress by Representative Joe Courtney and Senator Tammy Baldwin. The bipartisan bill would mandate health care and social service employers develop and implement a comprehensive workplace violence prevention plan. NNU applauded the introduction
  • The Board of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) appointed a new CEO, and building trade unions congratulated the new CEO, with the Painters Union saying they expect the TVA to continue to “set the standard for labor-management cooperation” 
  • The Department of Labor awarded another $2M to help displaced paper mill workers in North Carolina with retraining, skills development, and help seeking jobs
  • Dr. Oz has been confirmed as the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Unions, including AFSCME, condemned the confirmation of Oz, who wants to privatize Medicare and Medicaid
  • UNITE HERE has endorsed Abigail Spanberger for Governor of Virginia, and Ghazala Hashmi for Lieutenant Governor. 
  • The March jobs report was surprisingly strong given everything going on. Economic Policy Institute senior economist Elise Gould offered her insights here