UE NEWS Updates

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UE Charlotte City Workers Mobilize, Block Attempt to Privatize Their Jobs

October 14, 2008
Charlotte, NC
 

At Charlotte City Council’s September 2 meeting, its privatization committee presented a recommendation to privatize 25 percent of solid waste services. Most solid waste workers knew nothing about this effort until a few days before the recommendation. But UE Local 150’s Charlotte chapter immediately sprang into action, with Chapter President James Al Locklear speaking to the council against privatization, just before the recommendation was announced.  

Ralston Maintenance Workers Join Production Workers in UE

October 14, 2008
Lancaster, OH
Voting in a National Labor Relations Board election on September 23 and 24, maintenance workers at the Ralston Foods cereal plant chose membership in UE by a near-unanimous margin.

Early this year on February 4 – just one week after the Ralston production workers voted to affiliate with UE – some of the maintenance workers contacted UE and requested a meeting to find out how they could also join the UE.

Western Region Discusses Wall Street Crisis, Presidential Election, First Contract Struggles

October 10, 2008
Minneapolis

Delegates to the Western Region meeting on September 27 and 28 discussed the presidential election and the national financial crisis. But there was also time to discuss negotiations and other battles in their workplaces, celebrate the conclusion of Local 1008’s first contract negotiations at USCIS in California (see page 3), and to build support for the tough first contract struggle at Arc Bridges in Gary, Indiana.

Local 1008 Members Ratify First Contracts With Stanley, Northrop Grumman, SPS

October 10, 2008
Laguna Niguel, CA

In late August, members of UE Local 1008 employed by federal government contractors Northrop Grumman, Studley Professional Services (SPS), and Stanley Associates at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service Center overwhelmingly ratified their first union contracts. The three-year contracts bring pay raises, establishment of basic union rights, better working conditions, and protection against future changes whether or not there are changes in the contractors operating the center.

Vermont Members' Persistence Wins Pay Raises In First Contract at Northrop Grumman

October 9, 2008
St. Albans, VT

On September 12 workers at Northrop Grumman at the Vermont Service Center in St. Albans, Vermont voted to ratify their first union contract. The three-year agreement comes after months of struggle by the members of new UE Local 208. Besides solid contractual protections and benefit improvements, it provides 9 percent increases in wages that they employer resisted granting right to the end.

Arc Bridges Workers Strike Against Unfair Labor Practices

August 15, 2008
Gary, IN

Day service workers at Arc Bridges went on strike for one day – August 1 – against the unfair labor practices their company is committing. The strike was a huge success, with 70 percent participation, and a strong blow against the employer’s effort to decertify the union.

The workers are members of the new amalgamated Local 1123, chartered as a UE local in March. Local 1123 is the former independent American Federation of Professionals, which represents approximately 400 public and private sector workers in Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana.

UE Local 893 Reviews Political Struggles, Prepares for Tough Contract Bargaining

August 15, 2008
Des Moines, IA

Plans for bargaining, organizing and political action were intensely discussed as UE Local 893-Iowa United Professionals held its 26th annual convention July 26 .  “Members representing all areas of the state were in attendance and they were enthusiastic about the issues,” says Local President Becky Dawes. “Our Local will be heading into negotiations with the state in late fall and early winter, and we anticipate a difficult time due to the national economy and the additional impact of the state’s recent natural disasters.”

UE Local 204 Wins 11.2 Percent Raises In Three-Year Haskon Contract

August 14, 2008
Taunton, MA

Members of Local 204 used stickers, lunch time meetings, vocal chords, and a final-day march to the front office to achieve a three-year contract the committee could unanimously recommend, and the members would overwhelmingly ratify. Management at Haskon knew that to go beyond the August 6 expiration date would leave production completely in hands of the members without the  “no work stoppage” clause of the contract being in effect. Once the expiration date rolls around, bosses are never quite sure what Local 204 has in store for them.

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