Organizing round-up
Takeaways, Layoffs Convince Virginia Workers to Organize

Story by Jennifer John

This guy makes the Grinch look good.

It’s 10 days before Christmas, and the company president comes into your plant announcing payment of the annual $500 bonus.

You can have it, he says, but we’re taking away your recently negotiated 3-percent wage increase. And, we promise there will be no layoffs.

Then they lay off 40 percent of the work force anyway.

Merry Christmas.
So goes the story of why workers at Wolverine Gasket Mfg., a division of Eagle Picher, voted 174-89 in favor of UAW representation on March 15. The nearly 300 workers who produce gaskets for Ford, Visteon and General Motors in Blacksburg, Va., near Roanoke, had had enough.

Said one UAW Region 8 organizer: “The company was the best organizer we had” when they laid off all those workers.

Delphi/Multicraft
With a little help from their nearby union brothers and sisters, workers at Delphi/Multicraft in Cottondale, Ala., voted to join the UAW on March 8.

The 129 workers, who make modular console dash units for Mercedes M-class SUVs near Tuscaloosa, voted 72-52 in favor of union representation.

Region 8 organizers said the company ran a vigorous anti-union campaign, using films of strikes, having mock “negotiations” where the union gives up everything, and holding one-on-one meetings.

Concord City School District
Forty food service workers in the Concord City School District stood strong--despite their employer’s efforts to carve out 10 head cooks from the unit--voting 24-1 to join the UAW on March 20.

Now the school district’s entire support staff, including the 40 head cooks, assistants and cashiers, are proud members of UAW Region 9A.

The district held captive audience meetings to try and win over workers. According to one organizer, the “give us another chance” game fell flat.

Osceola County Sheriff’s Department
Meanwhile, corrections officers voted 10-0 to make the switch to the UAW in an election held March 16 in Reed City, Mich., just north of Grand Rapids.

The officers, who were previously represented by the Police Officers Labor Council, contacted the UAW last year after they heard good things about the union from UAW-represented police officers in the nearby city of Evart.

Now the unit of 12 officers, employed by the Osceola County Board of Commissioners, are part of UAW Region 1D and will soon begin bargaining their first contract.

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