Last Week in Southern Labor: 5/23 – 5/30

Jacob Morrison

Here’s what workers in the US South and the colonies were up to from May 23 to May 30

New Campaigns

  • 44 guards at Speed Art Museum in Louisville, KY filed a petition to hold a union election with the Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA) (this follows the non-guard workers at the museum filing a petition to unionize with the UAW last week)
  • 180 workers at MV Transportation in San Antonio, TX filed a petition to hold a union election with Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 694 
  • 7 workers at UNFI United Natural Foods, Inc. in Pompano Beach, FL filed a petition to hold a union election with the Teamsters Local 769
  • Workers likely pushed by their employer filed a petition to decertify the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1 as the union representing 4 workers at Signcrafters Inc in St Louis, MO
  • 22 workers at Starbucks in Chapel Hill, NC filed a petition to hold a union election with Starbucks Workers United

Election Results

  • 3 workers at IMI Kentucky in Edmonton, KY voted 2 to 1 against unionization with the Teamsters Local 89
  • 23 workers at AGL Services Company in Atlanta, GA voted 19 to 2 in favor of unionization with the IBEW Local 1997
  • 19 workers at Prestige Painting Worldwide in Lees Summit, MO voted 10 to 5 in favor of unionization with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 3
  • 10 workers at Allegion Access Technologies in Louisville, KY voted 5 to 5 in a union election with the IBEW Local 369, and ties go to the employer
  • 13 workers at the Davey Tree Expert Company in Huntingdon, TN voted 8 to 4 in favor of unionization with the IBEW Local 429
  • 6 workers at AVI Systems in Maplewood, MO withdrew their petition for a union election with IBEW Local 1
  • An NLRB Regional Director order an election petition closed – presumably because of not enough signatures – the petition had been for an election with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1535 to represent 45 workers at SP Plus Corporation in Kenner, LA
  • 2 workers at Structures Elite in Hico, WV withdrew their petition to hold a union election with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 53
  • Protective Service Officers United (PSOU) attempted to raid a unit of 15 security guards at Allied Universal Services in Washington, DC who are currently represented by the SPFPA but withdrew the petition in the same week

Strikes & Bargaining

  • Teamsters representing 160 drivers at Breakthru Beverage in Florida are bargaining their contract as we speak – workers at 5 locations in the state have recently unionized. The members are expected to take a strike authorization vote next week. Jeff Padellaro, Director of the Teamsters Brewery, Bakery, and Soft Drink Conference said they are trying to get these drivers in Florida the same benefits that their other members have at Breakthru in other states
  • Despite the state of Alabama not approving a raise for all teachers, some localities are finding room for raises in their budgets, including in Madison County, where the local Board of Education approved a $1,000/yr raise for all employees
  • The US Education Department, in the name of protecting women is, I kid you not, attempting to end protections against pregnancy discrimination
  • The Department of Defense is dropping the stupid “what did you do last week” requirement
  • 300 quality assurance workers at ZeniMax – unionized as ZeniMax Workers United CWA – have reached a tentative agreement with the company. The first of its kind agreement in the industry includes substantial across the board raises, new minimum salaries, protections against arbitrary dismissal, and more, according to the union. The 300 workers are nationwide, including in the South
  • 14 workers at Alabama Arise, who recently unionized as Alabama Arise Workers United CWA, ratified their first union contract with 100% turnout and 100% yes vote. In a joint release with management, they say they were able to lock in benefits they already have, secure raises, and 20 weeks of paid parental leave
  • VA Secretary Doug Collins wants to cut 15% of the VA’s staff – 83,000 workers
  • The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) in Austin, TX is raising the alarm about bus driver safety after another incident and calling on the city to make changes to protect drivers
  • The President of the American Association of University Professors (an AFT affiliate) recently went on the Power at Work podcast to discuss how Trump’s attacks on universities are affecting the people who make the institutions run
  • The crew of a Terrence Howard project in Kentucky is on strike as of last week, according to their union – the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE). The union says that “despite state funding and contracts with actors & directors guilds — the crew are being treated as less than employees! Now production is trying to replace the crew for standing up.”
  • Drivers for Kroger in Forest Park, Georgia – who last year unionized with the Teamsters Local 528 – have authorized a strike against the company because they won’t offer a fair contract. In the press release, the Teamsters point out that in 2024, the company raked in more than $147.1 billion in revenue and reported over $2 billion in profits

Political & Legislative

  • The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is celebrating beating back some of the worst provisions in the House bill for federal workers, like the proposed retirement cuts, while still raising the alarm about issues that remain, vowing to continue the fight in the Senate 
  • US Senator Elizabeth Warren has opened a probe into the increased backlog at the Social Security Administration that has resulted from DOGE cuts
  • Kim Kelly reported that “32 MSHA district/field offices in 20 states that had been marked for closure received notice that those orders had been *cancelled.*” She’s been reporting on coal miners closely for years now
  • Trump is greenlighting the US Steel / Nippon deal, the United Steel Workers (USW) remain extremely skeptical
  • Trump appointed Alabama utility regulator Twinkle Cavanaugh to a position in the US Department of Agriculture: State Director of Alabama Rural Development. Lee Hedgepeth pointed out for Inside Climate News that, during her tenure as President of the Public Service Commission, she always approved rate hikes without formal hearings, as is common in other states. Alabamians who get their power from Alabama Power have some of the highest utility bills in the country
  • The Department of Labor is reportedly ending its Job Corps program – a free residential education and job training program for low-income people between 16 and 24 years old. Secretary Chavez-DeRemer says its because it’s not effective, but Republicans and Democratic Senators have pushed back against the move, saying that Job Corps centers are important for workforce development in their states
  • The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration has rescinded guidance discouraging crypto currencies in retirement plans
  • The Supreme Court has allowed Trump to end a temporary humanitarian parole program that allowed 500,000 immigrants to stay in the country legally while the case plays out. This will be devastating for the migrants, many of whom are union members. The AFL-CIO filed an amicus brief opposing the ending of the program, saying this program could damage the economy, hurt businesses, and ultimately be detrimental for the coworkers who are left behind, all on top of being cruel and inhumane to the immigrants themselves
  • Liana Wang has a new piece in OnLabor about how the IRS cooperating with ICE is bad for all workers – in particular, pointing out how it might disincentivize immigrants from complying with the tax code and thus we would lose a major source of revenue
  • Tommy Tuberville announced he is running for Governor of Alabama – he is the clear favorite to win, with no other high profile Republicans announcing a run

Internal Union Affairs

  • The International President of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) John Costa was in the south last week – visiting Local 1235 members in Tennessee working at several key transit hubs across the city of Nashville
  • LaborNotes has a great new podcast about how to make union meetings interesting and engaging. They also have a new piece about how engaging critics can build a stronger local union. Finally, they’ve reposted an older piece about how unions have survived after moving off of paycheck dues deduction – very relevant for federal unions right now
  • Americans now favor labor unions over business by greater margins than ever before 
  • The International Association of Machinists (IAM) announced that they are re-organizing and centralizing their organizing department, a move that the union says will help streamline organizing efforts