More than 1,500 Workers Join AFL-CIO Unions
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Warehouse workers, school, bus drivers, teachers, mechanics, telecommunication and manufacturing worker all have recently won a voice at work with AFL-CIO unions.
More than 350 employees at IKEA Distribution Center in Perryville, Md., voted by an overwhelming margin to join the Machinists (IAM ) despite opposition from IKEA managers who hired Jackson-Lewis, the well-known union-busting law firm. District 4 Business Representative Joe Flanders says the workers, “were able to see through the scare tactics.”
Last year, the Danville, Va.-based employees at Swedwood, a wholly-owned subsidiary of IKEA, voted to join the IAM.
In DuPont, Wash., more than some 350 workers who repair military helicopters and do site maintenance site maintenance and repair work for defense contractor URS Corp. Wash., voted to join IAM District Lodge 751. The workers have been without a pay or cost of living increase for more than four years, says new IAM member John Davis, and “a bunch of people got fed up.”
In Avon, Ky., 219 workers (see photo) at Allsource Global Management at the Bluegrass Station base voted to join the IAM. They are material coordinators for the distribution of military equipment. Read the rest of this entry »
Emergency Transit Funding Protects Riders and Workers
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Unless the U.S. Senate passes emergency funding introduced in legislation (S. 3412) this week, working families who count on public transportation systems in communities across the country will face even more severe fare increases and service cuts and transit workers are looking at further layoffs.
State and local governments have been hit hard by the downturn in the economy and public transportation systems nationwide are experiencing major budget cuts as a result. Amalgamated Transit Union President (ATU) Warren George says that since January 2009, six out of 10 transit systems have cut services, raised fares, or both.
Thousands of transit workers have been laid off and millions of commuters have less access to public transportation. Without emergency action, the problems will only get worse—seven out of 10 transit systems are facing deficits in the coming year.
New Season for Union Member Adventures in ‘Escape to the Wild’
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Illinois Firefighter (IAFF) Greg Curry’s elk-hunting adventure in some of Colorado’s most breathtaking countryside kicks off the fourth season of ”Escape to the Wild” on VERUS Country. The season premiere of the show, which takes union members on once-in-a-lifetime hunting and fishing adventures, will air Sunday, Jan. 3, at 9:30 a.m. EST.
The show is a union-sponsored television series of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP). “Escape to the Wild” is supported by the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA), a joint venture of the TRCP and 21 unions to promote conservation and access for hunters and anglers.
While the show chronicles each union member’s outdoor adventure, it also gives viewers a look into the lives of the winners—their struggles, their triumphs and their commitment to their union, families and the outdoors.
Casino Workers Form New Gaming Council
Casino workers from Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Detroit and Connecticut joined together today to carry out a broad organizing, bargaining and communications agenda.
The new Gaming Workers Council, which includes the UAW, Transport Workers (TWU) Gaming Division, the AFL-CIO and SEIU, also will reach out to other partners to support a common agenda on behalf of workers in the casino industry.
The group’s first order of business will be support for ongoing contract campaigns for casino dealers in Atlantic City. Says Sharon Masino, a casino dealer at Caesars in Atlantic City and a member of the UAW/AC Dealers Union:
With everybody joining together, we’ll be stronger than ever. We’re going to win good contracts in Atlantic City and move on to help casino workers all over the country.
1,000 Machinists Approve Contract at GKN Aerospace, and More Bargaining News
Nearly 1,000 Machinists members at GKN Aerospace in St. Louis approved a new three-year contract—and more news here from the “Bargaining Digest Weekly.” The AFL-CIO Collective Bargaining Department delivers daily, bargaining-related news and research resources to more than 900 subscribers. Union leaders can register for this service through our website, Bargaining@Work.
SETTLEMENTS
IAM, GKN Aerospace: GKN workers in the St. Louis area of Missouri, represented by the Machinists (IAM) District 837, approved a new three-year contract with the aerospace company, which provides annual 3 percent wage increases, a $1,000 bonus, higher pension benefits and increased recall rights. IAM members had previously rejected the company’s final offer and voted to strike. The main issues included the company’s proposal for a change in overtime compensation, lack of health care benefits for members hired in after GKN purchased the facilities from Boeing in 2001 and inadequate pension increases.
