Here’s what workers in the US South and the colonies were up to from Friday, August 15, to Friday, August 22
New Campaigns
65 workers at Stockton Maintenance Group in Vienna, VA filed a petition to hold a union election with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 32BJ
15 workers at Frito Lay in Prestonburg, KY filed a petition to hold a union election with the Teamsters Local 175
9 workers at Science Applications International Corporation in Dallas, TX filed a petition to hold a union election with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW)
3 workers at NMAI in Jacksonville, FL filed a petition to hold a union election with the Independent Association of Public and Private Employees (IAPPE)
Election Results
Protective Services Officers United withdrew their attempt to raid a unit of 18 security guards at Allied Universal Services in Alexandria, VA who are currently represented by the Security, Police, and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA)
7 workers at Ethyl Corporation in Pasadena, TX withdrew their petition to decertify the United Steel Workers (USW) Local 227 as their union
15 workers at New Bern Transport Corporation in Rock Hill, SC withdrew their petition for a union election with the Teamsters Local 71
13 security guards at Triple Canopy in Herndon, VA voted 2 to 0 in favor of unionization with Protective Service Officers United
14 workers at MV Transportation in El Paso, TX voted in favor of unionization with the Teamsters Local 745
20 workers at Starbucks in Beaumont, TX voted 14 to 3 in favor of unionization with Starbucks Workers United
90 workers at Alstom in the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia voted in favor of unionization with the Transportation Communications Union (TCU-IAM). In a post on their website celebrating the win, the union said that “the Alstom workers cited concerns over job security, fair wages, improved working conditions, and having a stronger voice on the job as key reasons for choosing union representation” and that they will now be preparing to bargain for their first union contract
Grievances, Unfair Labor Practices, & Court Cases
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the NLRB’s structure is unconstitutional, so in the states of Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana, the board is essentially hobbled and the NLRA repealed. The Supreme Court will probably agree that the structure is unconstitutional – specifically protections for administrative law judges and board members against firings – and remove those things, but keep the rest of the structure in place. So ultimately the change won’t be that large, at least according to Matt Bruenig, but in the interim workers in large swaths of the country are left out to dry.
The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) today condemned the U.S. Court of Appeals’ decision to push back implementation of the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) long-overdue Silica Rule until October. The delay stems from a lawsuit filed by the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA), an industry not even affected by the rule until 2027, while coal miners remain exposed to deadly silica dust. “This delay is simply a death sentence for more miners,” said UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts.
The Communication Workers of America (CWA) filed unfair labor practice charges against Concentrix on behalf of two Florida workers who were fired by the company for talking to the media about their working conditions
Strikes & Bargaining
Hundreds of GE Aerospace workers represented by UAW Local 647 are rallied ahead of a contract expiration set for August 27 at midnight. After bargaining for weeks with the company, workers are frustrated with the lack of serious proposals put forth by GE that address core issues such as job security, health care costs, and time off. Workers voted to authorize a strike by 84%
AFA-CWA Flight Attendants (FAs) working for PSA Airlines held a Day of Action earlier this week with pickets at five airports, including Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), and others. The FAs are calling on PSA Airlines, a regional operator of American Airlines, to negotiate a living wage for regional flight attendants who are paid approximately 45 percent less for the same work
More than 300 warehouse workers at United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), represented by Teamsters Local 79, have overwhelmingly ratified a powerful five-year collective bargaining agreement. The first contract delivers up to an $8-per-hour wage increase, Teamsters health care coverage, and participation in the Teamsters Western Conference Pension Plan.
The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) announced that it has reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement with American Consolidated Natural Resources Inc (ACNR), covering members of UMWA Locals 1110, 1473, 1501, 1638, and 9909. A contract explanation meeting will be held on Friday, August 22, 2025, for all affected members. Following the meeting, members will have 48 hours to cast their votes on whether to ratify the tentative agreement
Political & Legislative
The Economic Policy Institute released a new report on the impacts of unionization, finding that, among other things
from 1979–2024, median wages rose more in states where unionization declined less
The productivity–pay gap has grown more slowly in states with smaller declines in unionization since 1979
In states with higher union densities, the share of people without any form of health insurance was 5.7%; this rate was 9% in states with lower union densities.
70.6% of states with the highest union density have enacted paid sick leave legislation, compared with just 11.8% of low-union-density states.
The Trump administration continues to rip up union contracts and “de-recognize” federal employee unions, last week adding Health and Human Services to the list of agencies they’ve done this to. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) condemned the move and emphasized “that strong union contracts are not an “obstacle” to emergency response – they are what ensures that CDC and NIOSH maintain a stable, experienced, and supported workforce.” AFGE Local 3840 Vice President Micah Niemeier-Walsh said “Don’t believe HHS — we are still a union, they’re attacking us because they know we are one of the last lines of defense against their effort to dismantle America’s public health system. Whether or not HHS recognizes us on paper, we will continue standing together, side-by-side as coworkers, to defend our rights and protect the nation’s health.”
The International Association of Machinists (IAM) is raising the alarm over potential job cuts at Corpus Christi Army Depot, calling on the Texas Congressional Delegation to oppose the cuts, saying that “the IAM represents 200 civilian defense contractors at CCAD who have received notices that their jobs will end Sept. 30, 2025. In addition, about 200 of the 2,300 federal employees at CCAD, also represented by the IAM, have been told they are among the 600 federal positions slated for elimination, with further cuts possible.”
The anti-union National Right to Work Foundation has found a willing puppet at Cornell University, who has, with their help, filed an unfair labor practice seeking to overturn a previous board ruling determining that graduate workers are workers and have collective bargaining rights. Dane Gambrell, for Power at Work, examines the current landscape for graduate worker organizing, the road that the ULP charge will take, and more. It’s a good read
