For Release: Friday, September 19, 2008

Workers at Thomas Built Buses vote YES for UAW, defeat decertification campaign

HIGH POINT, N.C. -- Workers at Thomas Built Buses in High Point, N.C., voted by an overwhelming margin to keep their union, defeating a decertification effort by 67 percent to 33 percent. The voting took place Sept. 17 in High Point.

"This is an important victory for our union," said John Crawford, president of UAW Local 5287. "Our membership really came together, and when everybody looked at the benefits of having a union contract and what it means for ourselves and our families, it became pretty obvious that keeping our union was the best decision we could make."

This is the third time in the past four years that a majority of workers at Thomas Built has voted in favor of UAW representation, including a March 2004 card-check vote and an NLRB-supervised election in July 2005.

During the decertification campaign, workers seeking to overturn majority support for UAW representation were represented by out-of-state attorneys from the Virginia-based National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, an organization founded by employers that oppose unionization efforts.

"It's no surprise that workers at Thomas Built Buses want to continue to build on the improvements they have gained with a union contract," said Gary Casteel, director of UAW Region 8, which includes North Carolina and other Southeastern states. The current agreement, which remains in force until 2010, includes wage increases and lower health care costs for Thomas Built workers. "Now it's time for everyone to focus on building great buses for Thomas Built Buses customers, and helping this company have a bright future."

"After three elections in four years, it's absolutely clear that a majority of workers at Thomas Built Buses wants a union," said Cindy Estrada, director of the UAW National Organizing Department. "In these uncertain economic times, a union contract is the best possible protection for workers and their families."

The UAW, one of the nation's most diverse unions, represents more than 8,000 workers at Freightliner, the parent company of Thomas Built Buses.