• 28 workers at Barnes and Noble in Austin, TX voted 6 to 20 against unionization with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 455

• 20 workers at Vitamin Cottage Natural Foods Markets in Norman, OK voted 11 to 9 in favor of unionization with UFCW Local 1000

• 15 workers at H&M in Melbourne, FL voted 13 to 1 in favor of unionization with UFCW Local 1625

• 13 workers at NTE Mobility Partners in Farmers Branch, TX voted 2 to 9 against unionization with the Transportation Systems Union 

• 3 security guards at MaxSent in Arlington, VA - in a first for me - did not vote! As in, no one voted in the election. At all. So, the SPFPA did not win the election and the company remains nonunion. 

• 3 workers at Midwest Air Traffic Control Service voted 3 to 0 in favor of unionization with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA)

• 79 workers at United Natural Foods and Alberts Organics in Sarasota, FL voted 75 to 0 in favor of unionization with the Teamsters Local 79

• 73 workers at Lycee Francais de la Nouvelle Orleans in New Orleans, LA voted 52 to 12 in favor of unionization with the United Teachers of New Orleans (AFT Local 527). In an email exchange, AFT Local 527 President Dave Cash explained that after Katrina all public schools in New Orleans were turned into charters, meaning they’ve had to organize school by school instead of having one employer (the school board) to bargain with. Cash also mentioned that Bricolage Academy teachers ratified their first contract in April, while Morris Jeff Community School teachers ratified their third contract in December, which included over 7 weeks of paid parental leave. 

• 100 security guards at Paragon Systems in El Paso, TX voted 13 to 5 in favor of unionization with SPFPA

SETTLEMENTS, GRIEVANCES, & UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES

• The UAW has filed objections to the election at Mercedes in Alabama, demanding a rerun after egregious violations of the law which included discharging workers, disciplining union supporters, and subjecting workers to mandatory anti-union propaganda meetings

• Workers at a St Louis Amazon warehouse filed unfair labor practice charges against the company for their surveillance of the workers, an illegal activity under the NLRA

STRIKES & BARGAINING

• After successfully unionizing with the United Steel Workers about this time last year, 1,500 workers at Blue Bird in Fort Valley, GA (an electric bus manufacturer) ratified a contract this week that continues average raises of 12% over three years, with the lowest paid seeing over 40% in raises. Additional provisions of the contract include establishing a retirement plan, profit sharing, and more. Acting Labor Secretary Julie Sue released a statement congratulating the workers

• Teamsters Local 420 announced members had ratified a contract with Molson Coors that includes increased wages and better benefits, ending the three month strike

• Durham, NC educators are seeking recognition through meet and confer rights through their local School Board, and 50 of the union’s members walked out of the most recent school board in protest