Here’s what workers in the US South and the colonies were up to from May 9th to May 16th
New Campaigns
- 20 workers at 3Fifteen Primo Dispensary in Valley Park, Mo filed a petition to hold a union election with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 655
- 45 workers at SP Plus Corporation, a subsidiary of Metropolis Technologies in Kenner, LA filed a petition to hold a union election with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1535
- 172 workers at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC filed a petition to hold a union election with the United Auto Workers (UAW)
- 32 workers at Vestis in Dallas, TX filed a petition to hold a union election with the Teamsters Local 745
- 17 security guards at Tootsies Entertainment in Nashville, TN filed a petition to hold a union election with the Tennessee Security Union
- Workers likely pushed by their employer filed a petition to decertify UFCW Local 655 as the union representing 17 workers at Goodwill in Saint Louis, MO
- 16 workers at Starbucks in Tampa, FL filed a petition to hold a union election with Starbucks Workers United, as did 19 workers at a location in Fayetteville, NC
- 25 workers at BDT Beverage in Nashville, TN filed a petition to hold a union election with UFCW Local 1995
- Workers likely pushed by their employer filed a petition to decertify the Teamsters Local 41 as the union representing 70 workers at CPC of Missouri in Smithville, MO
- 15 workers at CBRE in Washington, DC filed a petition to hold a union election with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 99
- Workers likely pushed by their employer filed a petition to decertify IUOE Local 465 as the union representing 75 workers at Hunt Military Communities in Jacksonville, NC
- 15 workers at Swire Properties in Miami, FL filed a petition to hold a union election with IUOE Local 30
- 2 workers at Structures Elite in Hico, WV filed a petition to hold a union election with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 53
Campaign Updates
- Faith based investor groups who have $58B invested in Ford have expressed concern to the company over allegations of union busting at Blue Oval plants in Tennessee and Kentucky
Election Results
- 67 workers at Alutrim North America in Lebanon, KY voted 40 to 20 in favor of sticking with their union – IUE-CWA Local 83697 – in a decertification election
- 14 workers at Appalachian Power in Roanoke, VA voted 14 to 0 in favor of unionization with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 978
- Workers who had previously filed a petition to decertify IBEW Local 584 as the union representing 14 workers at Brent Electric Cooperative in Pryor, OK withdrew their petition
- 72 workers at Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, TX voted 52 to 16 in favor of unionization with the UAW
- 5 workers at Kentucky Power in Ashland, KY voted in favor of unionization with IBEW Local 978
- 31 workers at Georgetown University in Washington, DC voted 18 to 3 in favor of unionization with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 500
- 10 workers at Constellation Energy Solutions in Washington, DC voted 5 to 5 in a union election with IUOE Local 99, and ties go to the employer
- 14 workers at Newbold Services in London, AR voted in favor of unionization with the Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA) Local 360
- Workers who had previous filed a petition to decertify USW Local 13-227 as the union representing 424 workers at Sunoco Logistics Partners in Hearne, TX withdrew their petition
- 6 workers at Leidos in Ft Bliss, TX voted 4 to 1 in favor of unionization with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) Local Lodge 2515
- 3 workers at Cap Transfers in Kansas City, MO filed a petition to hold a union election with IUOE Local 101 but withdrew the petition in the same week
Grievances, Unfair Labor Practices, & Court Cases
- The DC Circuit Court of Appeals rolled back a previous injunction from a lower court that would have prevented the government from implementing Trump’s plan to end collective bargaining by most federal employees, in a major loss for the unions
Strikes & Bargaining
- Members of the Sheet, Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation workers at Tri-Rail (a commuter rail service in Hialeah, FL) voted unanimously to ratify a new contract, though the union didn’t include details from the contract. The union also boasts of their 100% membership at this employer in a right to work state
- The American Postal Workers Union (APWU) say they are nearing the “end game” in their negotiations with postal service management
- Workers who provide interpretation for Teleperformance who are unionizing with the Communication Workers of America (CWA) conducted a national day of action last week protesting union busting and poor working conditions
- Customer service workers at Southwest Airlines, who are unionized with the IAMAW District Lodge 142 ratified a new 2.5 contract with a 14% wage increase, among other things
Political & Legislative
- The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) is raising the alarm about Republican attempts to claw back IRA investments in renewable energy, which would kill thousands of jobs
- Voters in Missouri voted overwhelmingly in favor of a ballot measure that would’ve given workers paid sick leave, raised the minimum wage, and tied future minimum wage increases to inflation. Republican politicians voted to overturn the paid sick leave portion of the measure, and to eliminate the tying minimum wage increases to inflation
- Republicans in DC are trying to cut benefits for federal workers, specifically by increasing employee contributions to the retirement system, basing retirement on high 5 instead of high 3, and instituting a pay cut for new employees unless they agree to be at will. Federal employee unions oppose the cuts. The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) participated in a Capitol Hill roundtable to discuss the negative impacts these provisions would have on their members, and are encouraging their members to let their congressperson know they oppose the measures
- The NALC noted on their site that HR 70 – an anti-privatization resolution regarding the postal service – has reached 208 cosponsors, only 10 short of a majority of the House.
- Another thing that Republicans want to do in order to fund tax cuts for the wealthy is cut Medicaid, in particular by adding work requirements. This has been tried in some states and doesn’t increase work. It also adds paperwork that is cumbersome, and ultimately is addressing an issue that doesn’t exist – only 3% of Medicaid recipients are long term non-disabled nonworkers, but the new administrative burden would be borne by all recipients. Matt Bruenig points out the cruelty in a new piece for the New York Times. Several unions have come out in opposition to the Medicaid cuts
- Pressure has worked, and hundreds of workers at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) who work to protect firefighters and coal miners have been rehired. Friend of the show Kim Kelly wrote about it for In These Times. Shortly after this was announced though, the Trump administration said they would be cutting an equivalent number of workers from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
- A DOGE person at the VA gave an interview to Fast Company – a business magazine – where he admitted being surprised that “government works. It’s not as inefficient as I was expecting,” and that he is surrounded by people who are mission driven and “love their jobs.” In another DOGE failure last week, DOGE personnel at the Social Security Administration implemented a fraud check system to test their claim that 40% of all calls to social security were fraudulent. They found 2 calls out of 110,000 to be fraudulent. But this did slow all retirement claim processing by 25%
- Trump came to the rescue of the banks. The Biden administration’s Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had issued a rule limiting most overdraft fees to $5. But this year the Senate passed a resolution to overturn it, and Trump signed it last week
- The US House Committee on Education and Workforce held a hearing on OSHA that largely centered around employers being unhappy about a proposed Biden administration heat rule. Jordan Barab, a former OSHA official, spoke eloquently in favor of the rule and OSHA’s mission generally
Internal Union Affairs
- Marc Perrone, the International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) – one of the largest unions in the country – resigned. Milton Jones was appointed president by the executive board – an Alabamian and the first black person to lead the union