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| Some of the New Jersey Renzenberger workers during a visit by James Hill, vice president of UE Local 1177 and a Chicago Renzenberger driver. Brother Hill is third from the right. |
Inspired by the successes of their counterparts in Chicago, Renzenberger drivers in New Jersey have voted overwhelmingly to join UE. The vote, in a mail ballot conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that concluded on March 14, was nearly unanimous for UE, with only two workers voting no union and zero votes for Truck Drivers Local 707.
Workers for Renzenberger Inc. drive vans that shuttle railroad workers to work sites within rail yards and between rail yards. The New Jersey group who have now organized into UE include drivers in the Oak Island Yard on the south side of Newark, the Croxton Yard in Jersey City, the Pavonia Yard in Camden, and satellite yards in Port Newark, Port Reading and Metuchen.
Renzenberger drivers in Chicago organized into UE two years ago, winning an NLRB election in February 2010 and negotiating their first UE contract by August of that year. On February 11 James Hill, vice president of UE Local 1177 and a Chicago Renzenberger driver, met with the New Jersey drivers on February 11. His visit, and the support and accomplishments of his local, were a major factor in the UE victory in New Jersey.