Union City:
Posted on 04/17/2015 1:51:41 PM PDT by Gamecock
The International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers Friday withdrew for at least six months their petition for an election scheduled for Wednesday to unionize Boeing Co.’s North Charleston plant.
The union cited a “toxic environment and gross violation of workers’s lawful organizing rights.”
If the union had pressed ahead with the controversial vote – being waged in a strongly anti-union state – and failed to win, organizers would have had to wait at least a year to schedule another try at passage.
“An atmosphere of threats, harassment and unprecedented political interference has intimated workers to the point we don’t believe a free and fair election is possible,” the union said in a statement issued Friday morning.
IAM’s lead organizer, Mike Evans, said two union organizers were threatened at gunpoint and other workers reported hostile confrontations. The IAM conducted home visits of more than 1,700 Boeing workers in its decision to postpone, Evans said.
“After speaking with Boeing workers who we were previously unable to reach, we’ve determined now is not the right time for an election,” he said. Home visits were suspended and unfair labor practice charges were filed by the union with the National Labor Relations Board, the union said.
Boeing put on a massive advertising campaign against the union effort. Evans used about 100 Puget Sound-based union staff to knock on doors in South Carolina and gauge support for passage of the petition to organize.
Media reports began surfacing earlier in the week indicating a possible cancellation of the April 22 scheduled vote.
While more than 3,000 machinists would have been unionized had the vote succeeded, Boeing’s entire 7,500 work force at the Charleston plant would have been affected.
The union said Friday Boeing workers at the Charleston plant had reached out to the union regarding a number of issues including forced overtime, rising health care costs and “a lack of respect on the shop floor.”
Wages for Boeing’s South Carolina workers compared to the wages paid by the aerospace giant at some of its other locations – specifically, in Washington state – had also risen as an issue behind the union effort in some media reports.
Boeing, meanwhile, responding to the cancellation decision, said it would look at issues at the $6 billion plant announced in the Palmetto State in 2009, and be responsive.
But Boeing also quickly pointed to the IAM’s previous remarks that it would delay a vote if it lacked the support of the Boeing workforce.
“I want to thank the team for their patience and professionalism throughout this process, but most importantly their passion, spirit and determination to move forward together,” said Beverly Wyse, Boeing South Carolina vice president and general manager. “We now have the opportunity to make Boeing South Carolina and our local community an even better place to work and live. And that’s what we’re going to do – together.”
The IAM filed its petition for an election with the National Labor Relations Board in March, saying that a significant number of Boeing workers had signed authorization cards showing interest in union representation.
Under somewhat odd labor rules, only 30 percent of a workforce is needed to set the stage for a union vote. More than 1,400 machinists would have been unionized had the vote succeeded, but Boeing’s entire 7,500 work force at the Charleston plant would have been affected.
The IAM already represents more than 35,000 Boeing employees at 24 sites nationwide, the union said, but South Carolina has deep roots opposing labor unions. Only 2.2 percent of the South Carolina workforce has union membership, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics, the second-lowest membership total in the U.S., behind only North Carolina.
Union City:
SC Ping?
IOW: "we didn't think we'd win."
I never understood why the Dems didn’t pass “card check” when they had full control in 09 and 10.
Some say because Obamacare took up all the available time for legislation.
They know they can’t win.
States’ rights mean nothing to these kinds of termites.
“An atmosphere of threats, harassment and unprecedented political interference has intimated workers”
Don’t like your own tactics used against you, huh?
The same union thugs from Wisconsin are now in South Carolina.
Exactly.
I wonder if they also felt intimidated.
Should have had a non-union editor.
South Carolina Ping
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maybe the 7,500 member work force are thinking twice about giving up a third of their pay to the Democrats
I wonder if some obnoxious organizers, showing up uninvited at a workers home and when asked to leave failed to do so, were then persuaded to leave by means of a home defense weapon.
In truth I very much doubt that anyone was threatened at gunpoint. If it actually happened I am sure there would have been charges filed. An organizer would not let such an opportunity pass by to throw some mud at Boeing.
Home visits? Downright intimidation.
My dad was running for office in the IBEW. He wanted to kick out the crooks. He was quite the idealist. My Mom answered the door and hurried into the dining room with utter terror on her face. “Arne, they’re here!” My Dad reached into his pocket. Only I saw what he did as the rest of the family was on the other side of the table. He checked a little snub nose revolver for load then went out to meet them at the door. There were several of them and they wanted him to step outside. I stayed down the hall and saw that he’d pulled the gun but kept it behind his leg. He told them to leave. There were some words but they were obviously not ready for an armed man. They left. I seriously doubt unions have changed. Why should they?
“Card Check”
I think even the dems knew the SCOTUS would have struck down such a blatant attempt at union thuggery...
As well as video taken.
‘rising health care costs’’
Gee, they should take that grievance to their Messiah in the White House...........
“An atmosphere of threats, harassment and unprecedented political interference has intimated workers to the point we don’t believe a free and fair election is possible,” the union said in a statement issued Friday morning.
It is good to see that anti-communist/anti-union sentiments still live strong in the South. This is definitely a feel-good story.
These union thugs will get their ass kicked in the great state of South Carolina.
When I lived in Milwaukee, I was forced to be an IAM member if I wanted to work in a machine shop. I needed the job badly, so I joined. Worthless union!
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