Member minute

Bob Riggins is the president of UAW Local 5285 in Mount Holly, N.C., and represents workers at truckmaker Freightliner LLC. He played a key role is organizing the union at the plant, and supports other organizing efforts in North Carolina and elsewhere. Photo: WILL DAVIS / UAW LOCAL 5285

You've spent a lot of time campaigning for the Employee Free Choice Act. Why is this so important?

The reason it’s so important is that the only voice workers will ever have is with a union. It’s important to get this act passed so employees who want a union can get a union without fear or intimidation.

When workers at Freightliner first sought to organize themselves, anti-union groups made a lot of dire predictions about joining a union. Have any of these come true? What's really happened?

They talked about the plant closing, how we’d never get new work or there would never be no more hiring. None of that came true. In fact, from 1990 to 2000, we more than doubled our membership. The company has learned to work with us and respect worker rights. It’s true right now that we’re in a down cycle, but all truck makers are. Together, we’re weathering the storm. But now we have union protection so layoffs are done in a fair and orderly way. Before the UAW, the company laid off who they wanted to layoff. And if they called you back at all, you started as a new hire.

How do you get members to understand the importance of politics?

It’s been an interesting dynamic here for me. Prior to the union, there was no interest in politics among the workers. We have done aggressive education campaigns here to show where our elected representatives stand on the issues. I’ve been pleasantly surprised this year by our members asking who our endorsed candidates are.

If you could tell someone considering joining the UAW one thing about our union, what would it be?

It would be this: You know that corporate America is represented by high-powered attorneys. Everything they do is in writing and contractual. Why shouldn’t we be entitled to the same thing — a contract in writing?

Vince Piscopo