Labor & Employment Law

From D.C. to San Diego, Workers Choose Unions

By Mike Hall

Capitol Hill tour guides, power plant workers, law enforcement and municipal employees and auto and jet mechanics all won a voice at work with AFL-CIO unions recently.

In Montgomery County, Pa., 245 county employees voted to form a union with AFSCME Council 13. The workers include deputy sheriffs and administrative support personnel in the sheriff?s department, clerk of courts, district attorney?s office, public defender, coroner and other offices.

In Washington, D.C., workers at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center voted overwhelmingly to join AFSCME Council 26. Carl Goldman, Council 26 executive director, says the 140 tour guides and visitor assistants are

very dedicated to serving Congress and the public. They want their views to be taken seriously by management. They want to be given the tools to do their jobs.

In New Jersey, 65 part-time medical consultants at the state’s Disability Determination Services won representation with Communications Workers of America (CWA) locals 1037 and 1038. In Washington State, utility workers at MV Transportation in Seattle won a CWA voice with a unanimous National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) vote. They join the 332 workers at the company already represented by CWA Local 7800.

In Haywood, W.Va., 200 workers at Allegheny Energy?s Harrison Power Station voted to join the Utility Workers (UWUA). Meanwhile in Alabama, the workers who construct natural gas pipelines for Northern Pipeline Construction Co. won a voice at work with UWUA through majority sign-up.  In a majority sign-up, the company agrees to remain neutral and recognize the union once a majority of employees signs authorization cards.

In California, workers with Defense Support Services LLC at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, Calif., voted to join the Machinists (IAM). Also auto technicians at Penske Automotive Group?s Mercedes-Benz dealership in San Diego and at Winter Chevrolet in Pittsburg, Calif., voted for IAM representation.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on September 29, 2010 (boomark / email).