by Mike Hall, Jul 14, 2007

Backed by the encouraging words of Massachusetts Sens. Edward Kennedy and John Kerry, workers at the Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s East Boston airport location who are fighting to a form union were joined with community supporters at a rally last week as the group launched a local boycott of the company over its anti-union tactics.

In early June, the workers turned in union authorization cards from 23 of the 30 car-prep employees and drivers and asked Enterprise to recognize IUE-CWA Local 201 as their union. The company refused.

On June 4, the workers filed for a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election. On June 13, Enterprise told the workers their jobs were being subcontracted to a Houston staffing company. If the workers wanted to continue their employment with the rental company, they were told they would have to apply for jobs at other company locations.

If the Employee Free Choice Act had been in effect when the Enterprise workers turned in the cards, they would have had their union. The act says that when a majority of workers sign union authorization cards and submit them to the NLRB, their choice to join a union will be recognized.

Senate Republicans blocked the bill earlier this summer after it passed the House in March.

Workers at the rally read the statements from Kennedy and Kerry. In Kennedy’s statement, he called on Enterprise to do the right thing—rehire their workers and recognize the union.

Working people in Massachusetts deserve the right to unionize free from fear and intimidation.

Kerry’s statement said:

It’s outrageous that Enterprise fired dedicated employees simply because they wanted to organize. We shouldn’t and we won’t allow union busting in our state.

(See below for the full text of a joint letter of support the two senators sent to the workers and local labor leaders.)

For nearly one-and-a-half years, the Enterprise workers say they sought to get management to address their concerns about wages, safety and job discrimination in work assignments and job promotions. Their requests were ignored. Says Jonny Arevalo, an Enterprise shuttle van driver:

All we wanted was a voice at work and a union contract to improve our wages and working conditions. Instead, management is depriving us of our rights by making us all apply for new jobs. It’s outrageous.

Some 65 people joined the rally in front of the Enterprise facility and more than 25 local community and union groups along with a number of local officials have endorsed the boycott of the Enterprise operations, says Jeff Crosby president of Local 201 and the North Shore Labor Council.

Enterprise relies on a good reputation to rent and sell cars in over 30 Boston locations. Unless management reconsiders its actions and respects it employees, that reputation will suffer. In this era of internet communications, damaging information of public concern can spread very quickly and have a lasting impact.

The workers filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the NLRB, which says Enterprise has retaliated against the workers because of their attempt to form a union.

Here’s the full text of the Kennedy/Kerry letter:

We wish we could be with you in person today to join your call for justice for the workers at Enterprise Rent-a-Car. We strongly support your efforts to represent workers at Enterprise’s South Boston airport site, and we’re concerned about the company’s strong-arm tactics to defeat your campaign.

It’s an outrage that workers who try to form a union can be faced with mass firing. You have the right to ask Enterprise to recognize your union, and to be treated with dignity and respect in the workplace. We’ve always stood with working Americans throughout our years in the Senate, and we’re proud to stand with you today.

Last month, we fought in the Senate for the Employee Free Choice Act to allow workers like you to use majority sign-up to choose a union. Every worker in America deserves the right to join a union, free from employer retaliation. We’re with you in this battle, and we send our best wishes for your success.

Yours in solidarity,

Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry
July 11, 2007

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