Last Week in Southern Labor: 8/1 – 8/8

Jacob Morrison

Here’s what workers in the US South and the colonies were up to from August 1 to August 8

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

  • Workers likely pushed by their employer filed a petition to decertify the United Steel Workers (USW) as the union representing 7 workers at Ethyl Corporation in Pasadena, TX
  • 14 workers at Starbucks in Nashville, TN filed a petition to hold a union election with Starbucks Workers United
  • 81 workers at the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta, GA filed a petition to hold a union election with Complex RBT Union
  • 50 workers at Transdev in Rosenberg, TX filed a petition to hold a union election with the Transport Workers Union (TWU) 
  • 40 workers at GFL Plant Services in Houston, TX filed a petition to hold a union election with the Teamsters Local 988
  • The employer filed a petition to hold a union election after a majority of the 41 workers at Breakthru Beverage in St Louis, MO demonstrated support for unionization with the Teamsters Local 600
  • Union Rights for Security Officers (URSO) is attempting to raid a unit of 7 security guards at Allied Universal in Washington DC currently represented by the Security, Police, and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA)
  • United Government Security Officers of America Local 333 is attempting to raid a unit of 250 security guards at Chenega Global Protection in Atlanta, GA who are currently represented by the SPFPA
  • Protective Service Officers United is attempting to raid a unit of 15 security guards at Allied Universal Security Services in Washington, DC who are currently represented by URSO

Election Results

  • City employees in Miami Beach, FL had their unionization with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) voluntarily recognized by their employer
  • 6,646 workers at Pinellas County Schools in Largo, FL voted 2,089 to 41 in favor of recertifying the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association as their union
  • 5,168 workers at Miami-Dade County and the county’s Public Health Trust in Miami, FL voted 654 to 3 in favor of recertifying the AFSCME  Local 1363 as their union
  • 14 workers for Engineering Support Personnel in Naval Air Station, TX voted in favor of leaving their current union – the Fort Worth Simulator Contract Instructor Employees – in favor of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), with 6 votes for the IAMAW, zero for the independent union, and zero for no union
  • 19 workers at Midwest Drywall Company in Austin, TX voted 7 to 11 against unionization with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC) Local 1266
  • 10 workers at Wells Fargo in Cartersville, GA voted 8 to 2 in favor of unionization with Wells Fargo Workers United (WFWU-CWA)
  • 34 workers at Parsec in Wylie, TX voted 16 to 7 in favor of unionization with the Teamsters Local 745
  • 19 workers at SPX Cooling Technologies in Springfield, MO voted 13 to 4 in favor of unionization with the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) Local 208-M
  • 25 workers at BDT in Nashville, TN voted 2 to 17 against unionization with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1995
  • 7 workers at Equipmentshare(dot)com in Grain Valley, MO vote 6 to 0 in favor of unionization with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOW) Local 101-S
  • Union Rights for Security Officers (URSO) is withdrawing its attempt to raid a unit of 30 security guards at Paragon Systems in Washington, DC that are currently represented by the United Federation of LEOs (a PBA affiliate)
  • United Government Security Officers of America Local 333 is withdrawing its attempt to raid a unit of 150 security guards at Paragon Systems in Houston, TX who are currently represented by SPFPA Local 499
  • The National Capital Union for Security Officers is withdrawing its attempt to raid a unit of 30 security guards at Paragon Systems in Washington, DC who are currently represented by the National Union of Special Police Officers
  • Protective Service Officers United withdrew their attempt to raid a unit of 15 security guards at Allied Universal in Washington DC who are currently represented by URSO
  • A regional director ordered a union election case closed, 18 workers at CGB Express in Ft Myers, FL had previously petitioned to hold a union election with Teamsters Local 79
  • 21 workers at the American Red Cross withdrew their petition for a union election with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 655
  • 23 workers at Starbucks in Alpharetta, GA withdrew their petition for a union election with Starbucks Workers United 
  • 23 workers at Salamander in Washington, DC withdrew their petition for a union election with UNITE HERE Local 25
  • 176 workers at the city of Venice, FL voted 80 to 2 in favor of recertifying the AFSCME Council 79 as their union
  • 1,680 workers at Bay District Schools in Panama City, FL voted 505 to 17 in favor of recertifying the Association of Bay County Educators as their union
  • 2,132 workers at Pinellas County Schools in Largo, FL voted 371 to 15 in favor of recertifying the Pinellas Educational Support Professionals Association as their union
  • 3,194 workers at Collier County Public Schools in Naples, FL voted 988 to 15 in favor of recertifying the Collier County Education Association as their union
  • 13,286 workers at Broward County Public Schools in Fort Lauderdale, FL voted 6,228 to 128 in favor of recertifying the Broward Teachers Union as their union
  • 6,852 workers at Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, FL voted 1,256 to 45 in favor of recertifying Duval Teachers United as their union
  • 636 workers at Highlands County Public Schools in Sebring, FL voted 166 to 8 in favor of recertifying the Highlands County Educational Support Professionals Association as their union
  • 145 workers at Calhoun County Public Schools in Blountstown, FL voted 29 to 6 in favor of recertifying the Association of Calhoun Educators as their union
  • 59 workers at the city of Oakland Park, FL voted 5 to 3 in favor of recertifying the AFSCME Council 79 as their union
  • 52 workers at Lafayette County Public Schools in Mayo, FL voted 11 to 0 in favor of recertifying the Lafayette Education Association as their union
  • 627 workers at the Nassau County School District in Fernandina Beach, FL voted 191 to 4 in favor of recertifying the Nassau Educational Support Personnel Association as their union
  • 20 workers at the town of Lake Park, FL voted 4 to 0 in favor of recertifying the Federation of Public Employees as their union
  • 353 workers at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL voted 53 to 7 in favor of recertifying AFSCME Council 79 as their union
  • 42 workers at the New College in Sarasota, FL voted 26 to 0 in favor of recertifying AFSCME Council 79 as their union
  • 31 workers at Bay Harbor Islands, FL voted 18 to 2 in favor of recertifying AFSCME Council 79 as their union
  • 51 workers at the city of Avon Park, FL voted 7 to 0 in favor of recertifying AFSCME Local 79 as their union
  • 187 workers at the city of Cocoa, FL voted 88 to 4 in favor of recertifying the Northeast Florida Public Employees Local 630 of the Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA) as their union
  • 103 workers at the city of Pinellas Park, FL voted 49 to 1 in favor of recertifying AFSCME Council 79 as their union
  • 547 workers at Citrus County Public Schools in Inverness, FL voted 93 to 10 in favor of recertifying the Citrus County Educational Association as their union
  • 229 workers at DeSoto County Public Schools in Arcadia, FL voted 64 to 1 in favor of recertifying the DeSoto County Educators Association as their union
  • 385 workers at Levy County Public Schools in Bronson, FL voted 59 to 6 in favor of recertifying the Levy County Education Association as their union
  • 366 workers at Jackson County Public Schools in Marianna, FL voted 65 to 4 in favor of recertifying the Jackson Educational Staff Professional Association as their union
  • 12 workers at Osceola County Corrections Department in Kissimmee, FL voted 1 to 8 against recertifying AFSCME Council 79 as their union

Grievances, Unfair Labor Practices, & Court Cases

  • The NLRB is charging McKay’s bookstore in Knoxville with violating federal labor law. Specifically, the NLRB alleges that the company discharged a member of the union bargaining committee without just cause in retaliation for his union activity, among other things

Strikes & Bargaining

  • The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), and REI Co-op announced progress on several key topics, including an agreement to establish a national bargaining structure to inform store-level collective bargaining agreements for the 11 unionized REI stores. The agreement comes after joint meetings were held July 28-30 in Chicago, IL. The unionized stores are located nationwide, including in North Carolina
  • After unanimously unionizing with Transport Workers United (TWU), aircraft fuelers for Primeflight Aviation Services at the Orlando International Airport in Florida just ratified their first collective bargaining agreement that raises wages by 15% and guarantees paid time off for the first time. TWU International President John Samuelson said that the new contract “immediately turned the fuelers… from the lowest paid on property to the highest paid.”
  • 3,200 IAM District 837 members at Boeing voted to reject the company’s contract offer. The company then sent a revised offer, and workers voted that one down too – they’re now on strike. 
  • A Texas Teamster and UPS driver has a piece out about the importance of UPS upholding its promise to provide AC in trucks – his lack of AC almost killed him last year

Political & Legislative

  • The Trump Administration’s VA tore up union contracts with a majority of workers at the VA except for cops of course. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest VA union which represents some 350,000 workers at the agency said this will hurt veterans and workers at the VA – over one third of whom are vets themselves. AFGE President Kelley said  “The real reason Collins wants AFGE out of the VA is because we have successfully fought against disastrous, anti-veteran recommendations from the Asset Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission which would have shut down several rural VA hospitals and clinics, opposed the Trump administration’s plan dismantle veteran health care through the cutting of 83,000 jobs, and consistently educated the American people about how private, for-profit veteran healthcare is more expensive and results in worse outcomes for veterans. We don’t apologize for protecting veteran healthcare and will continue to fight for our members and the veterans they care for.”
  • More Perfect Union has a new video out about bitcoin mining in Texas, and how it’s making residents sick – literally. 
  • Rumors are claiming that the Birmingham Stallions – a United Football League team – might be moving. The rumors got around enough that Mayor Woodfin addressed them, saying the city hasn’t been informed of any move, and hope that they stay. UFL players unionized with the United Steel Workers a couple years back and talked to us about it. 
  • The United Auto Workers are condemning Trump’s new trade agreement, saying they are “deeply angered” by a deal that they say leaves American workers behind. The UAW says “this deal gives [Japanese auto makers] another break—at the expense of the very companies and workers that built the American auto industry into the global standard for good jobs and world-class products.”
  • The July jobs report was really bad. We reacted to it here. If you’re reading this newsletter you probably know that the numbers were bad, and they also revised the numbers for May and June down significantly. You also probably know that Trump fired the BLS commissioner. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) – which represents some BLS workers – released a statement from their president where he pointed out that the head of the BLS has worked at the agency for more than two decades under multiple administrations, and called his decision to fire her “outrageous and irresponsible.” You may not have seen a couple of these observations about the data though: Jamie Dupree, a reporter on Congress, notes that May-June is the weakest 3 month period of job growth since 2010 if you don’t count COVID. Mike Konczal, Senior Director for Policy and Research at the Economic Security Project points out that manufacturing jobs have been lost at a similar rate to federal jobs. Joe Weisenthal points out that all of the job gains are accounted for by healthcare and social assistance. Seems bad

Internal Union Affairs

  • The AFL-CIO released their annual Executive Paywatch Report. Some highlights: the average S&P 500 CEO makes 285 times what the median worker at their company makes. CEO pay increased by 7% on average last year. Starbucks has the worst ratio of any company, with their CEO making 6,666 times the median employee. 
  • Chris Smalls, former president of the Amazon Labor Union, participated in a freedom flotilla action designed to increase international pressure on Israel for blocking aid into the country, weeks after climate activist Greta Thunberg did the same. Like Thunberg, Smalls was abducted by the IDF before reaching Gaza with the aid. Unlike Thunberg though, Smalls was allegedly beaten by the IDF before his release.