Local 1121 members wearing union t-shirts at work.
The members of UE local 1121 at Aramark/Vestis ratified a new five-year agreement on October 13, after fighting back a bitter attempt to break the local union by the boss. Despite the employer’s illegal tactics of threats, lies, and outright bribes to break their local union, members voted by a two-to-one margin to reject an attempted decertification.
After beating back the boss’s union busting, the Local 1121 bargaining committee went back to the table and secured an agreement with improvements to health and safety language addressing the extreme heat which has sent workers from the plant to the emergency room. After OSHA proved to be utterly useless, the committee was able to secure an agreement from the employer to invest in engineering upgrades to address extreme heat and ensure that workers are able to hydrate on the job without fear of retaliation.
Members will receive raises of $2.75 over 5 years, with a $0.75 increase at ratification. These raises are in addition to the $1.25 mid-contract raises won by the union in 2022.
Vicky Yang, a veteran worker and president of Local 1121, said, “This fight with Aramark was long and hard, they really thought they could crush our union by pitting us against another, but they learned an important lesson, when you attack our union you attack us. Our members stuck together and didn’t fall for the company’s lies.”
The Local 1121 bargaining committee consisted of President Victoria Yang, Treasurer Tammie Jarrett and Chief Steward Darrin Highsmith. They were assisted by Field Organizer Sean Fulkerson.