by Mike Hall, Apr 22, 2008

Gas and electric utility workers in New Mexico and Arkansas, firefighters in Alabama, call center workers in Iowa, sports television employees in Minnesota and mechanics in California are among the latest workers to win a union voice at work.

In New Mexico, some 262 gas workers at Public Service New Mexico are now members of the Electrical Workers (IBEW) after voting to join IBEW Local 611. With the pending sale of the gas division to new owners with a track record of outsourcing work and cutting costs, workers turned to the union. As soon as they did, the new owner, Continental Energy Corp., turned to union-busters.

Organizer Craig Parkman says that along with the scare tactics and misleading information, the anti-union campaign included the company CEO flying to worksites around the state for captive-audience meetings. But when the ballots were counted earlier this month, the workers voted to join together with the 650 workers in the company’s electric division already with Local 611. A unit of 100 workers is set to vote for a voice later this month.

Also, in Arkansas, 24 workers at the South Central Arkansas Electrical Cooperative voted to join IBEW Local 295.

Firefighters in Daphne, Ala., became the latest Gulf Shore first responders to join the Fire Fighters (IAFF). Fire medic Tom Castrillo told the Mobile Press-Register the firefighters have been working for the past two years to form a union and that while they have a good relationship with the city, they wanted the protection of a union contract. Firefighters in nearby Mobile, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are IAFF members.

Meanwhile in Birmingham, Ala., 179 AT&T call center workers joined the Communications Workers of America (CWA), as did 130 AT&T call center employees in Davenport, Iowa. Both units won their voice on the job through a majority sign-up agreement between CWA and AT&T that allows workers the freedom to form a union when a majority signs union authorization cards.

Majority sign-up is a key element of the Employee Free Choice Act that would level the playing field for workers seeking to form unions and strengthen the penalties against those who use threats, intimidation, harassment and other illegal tactics to deny workers the freedom to form a union.

CWA is spearheading the union movement’s nationwide drive to get at least 1 million signatures in support of the legislation and to tell the next president and Congress that working families across America want them to immediately enact the Employee Free Choice Act.

In Minneapolis, 45 technical directors, audio and video technicians, camera operators and other workers at Fox Sports Net North voted to join the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).

The Machinists (IAM) report three recent worker wins. In Los Angeles, 42 mechanics at Johnson Controls Inc., who, under contact, maintain the country’s fleet of cars, trucks and tractors, voted for IAM representation. In Brighton, Mo., 26 drivers at Railcrew Xpress, who provided services to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad, voted to join IAM, as did 12 mechanics who maintain buses and vans at Spokane’s First Student Inc.

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