Latest news with #unionization
CBC
4 days ago
- Automotive
- CBC
Unifor Local 444, NextStar reach tentative agreement to unionize EV battery plant
Social Sharing Unifor Local 444 says they've reached a tentative agreement to unionize the NextStar EV battery facility. A ratification vote is scheduled for employees for Sunday. "This tentative agreement reflects our union's unwavering commitment to fairness, respect, and a strong future in this new sector," said James Stewart, president of Unifor Local 444, in a statement posted to social media. "We thank our bargaining team and the employees of NextStar for their patience, participation, and solidarity throughout this process." Nextstar, the EV battery manufacturing facility in the city's east end, started production last fall. At full production it will employ 2,500 people and is expected to create thousands of spin-off jobs in Windsor's auto sector. The facility, a joint venture between LG Energy Solutions and Stellantis, broke ground in 2022. Unifor Local 444 already represents more than 4,500 workers at the Stellantis Windsor Assembly Plant. The union notes says the initial tentative deal is a "significant milestone and sets the bar in securing strong representation and protections for workers in this emerging electrified sector." In a statement, the company acknowledged it had reached a deal with the union.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear talks political strategy, flipping seats in visit to Greenville
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear talked political strategy, flipping red states, and building strong support for unionization in an AC Hotel's ballroom in downtown Greenville as he kicked off a tour across the Palmetto State on July 16. More: Two key Democratic politicians turn their focus to South Carolina with upcoming visits Beshear also traveled to Columbia, Charleston, and Georgetown County to connect with Democratic Party leaders and engage with labor movement representatives. He is part of a growing list of Democratic politicians on the national political scene attempting to build ties with South Carolina voters, activists, and politicians. He pointed to several reasons why he made the trip to the Palmetto State without mentioning a possible 2028 presidential campaign. The reasons were an invite from the AFL-CIO, an invite from the Georgetown County Democratic Party, a desire to be a "get things done" voice in politics and his son's baseball game, he said. "I'm traveling more because I'm trying to be a common sense, common ground, get things done type of voice," Beshear said. "My focus is on this year." The Kentucky governor started his tour in Greenville at the state's annual American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) convention. The convention made up leaders from top labor organizations like the Communication Workers of America (CWA), the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), and Southern Workers Assembly. Wire technicians for AT&T and port workers represented by the CWA and ILA, respectively, went on strike last year amid contract negotiations. Beshear referenced similarities between his home state, Kentucky, and South Carolina with their manufacturing base and long-established anti-union sentiments. South Carolina is a right-to-work state, meaning it has laws in place that prevent an employer from requiring union membership or the payment of union dues. Many states with such laws have significantly lower rate of unionization, a comparison based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows. South Carolina has one of the lowest unionization rates in the country with union members making up about 2.8% of the state's workers. "In Kentucky, they passed all of the same anti-union laws and our union membership is going up," Beshear said. "What happens when business is able to take a look at and work with our unions? They find they do really incredible work." AFL-CIO took the time to commend Beshear for his ability to beat Kentucky gubernatorial candidates whom Republican politicians, including President Donald Trump and Sen. Mitch McConnell, backed. He was first elected Kentucky governor in 2019 after he beat Republican Matt Bevin by just under half a percentage point. That margin of victory rose to 5% in 2023, when he won reelection against Republican Daniel Cameron. "People often ask me how you do it?" Beshear said when he took the stage. "You win by staying true to our values of compassion, of empathy, and of doing right by our agents." Beshear connects with Greenville County political leaders Greenville City Councilmember Michelle Shain later hosted Beshear and local political leaders at her home for a reception, where the Kentucky governor discussed the importance of settling political differences and meeting people where they are. More: Greenville won't have a municipal primary election this year, and here's the reason why Numerous local Democratic politicians attended the event, including Greenville City Councilmember Lillian Brock Flemming and city council candidate Tine Belge. State politicians Rep. Chandra Dillard (D-Greenville), Rep. Wendell Jones (D-Greenville) and former South Carolina Gov. Dick Riley also attended. Beshear laid out three ways he thinks the Democratic Party should attract a stronger voter base: focusing on people's everyday needs, meeting people where they are, and explaining the reason behind their beliefs. "The opening is there," Beshear said. "I am living proof that we can and we should win everywhere." Stacey Mars, chair of the Greenville County Democratic Party (GCDP), and Kathryn Harvey, chair of the Spartanburg County Democratic Party (SCDP), helped organize the meeting with Beshear. Mars said local Democratic organizers are strategizing and working to send a message that resonates with voters for the 2026 elections. "The fact that a Democrat was able to win in Kentucky, it gives us hope that we can do the same thing here," Mars said. Harvey is campaigning for Spartanburg County's District 3 seat after longtime councilmember David Britt stepped down. She said focusing on local elections and flipping those seats is just as important as the upcoming 2026 race for U.S. Senate. "Think about how much impact you have as a city council person, a mayor, a county council person," Harvey said. "It's where people can see change." Three Greenville City Council seats are up for election this year, two of which have multiple candidates. There will also be a special election in Spartanburg County to fill Britts' seat. More: Lee Johnson of Greenville drops out Senate race, cites need for Democratic Party unity One of South Carolina's Senate seats, all House seats and the state's governor's office are up for election next year. Numerous Democrats and Republicans have launched campaigns to fill incumbent Sen. Lindsey Graham's seat. Lee Johnson of Greenville dropped out of the race for Senate on July 17, citing a need for more unity in the Democratic fight to unseat Graham. Bella Carpentier covers the South Carolina legislature, state, and Greenville County politics. Contact her at bcarpentier@ This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Beshear speaks at AFL-CIO conference, meets with SC politicians Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Board of Elections workers should not be barred from unionizing, judge finds
An argument that city elections workers should not be allowed to unionize because doing so would constitute 'political activity' did not pass muster with a judge for the state's labor board. The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners had previously argued that the state's election code barred its employees from forming a union. But the law shouldn't be read that way, administrative law Judge Anna Hamburg-Gal found in an order Monday that paves the way for official recognition of the workers' union. City elections workers, including clerks, polling place investigators and equipment specialists, first sought union representation with the Service Employees International Union Local 73 nearly a year ago, saying they were frustrated by 'stagnant' wages that didn't keep pace with the cost of living in Chicago. But the Board of Elections pushed back on the proposed bargaining unit of 80 to 90 workers. Attorneys for the board argued that because election workers are prohibited from engaging in 'political activity' by the state's election code, they should therefore be barred from joining SEIU. In legal filings, hired counsel for the Board of Elections noted that SEIU 73 is politically active, lobbies legislatively and makes endorsements and financial contributions to political candidates. The union, for instance, helped propel current Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who received more than $4 million in contributions from SEIU affiliates during his mayoral campaign, to victory. 'The Union has, in part, an undeniable political purpose,' the board's attorneys wrote last year. But in her order, Hamburg-Gal found that the state's election code 'need not be read as prohibiting unionization by [Board of Elections] employees.' 'An employee's participation in a union does not necessarily equate to engagement in political activity,' she wrote. 'Although the petitioner here engages in political activity, most of the Employer's arguments would lose their force if the employees had sought representation by a newly formed labor organization that had committed not to become engaged in the political process.' The Board of Elections has two weeks to appeal the order. Max Bever, a spokesperson for the board, declined to say whether it would do so, saying it does not comment on pending litigation. Cassio Mendoza, a spokesperson for the mayor's office, also declined to comment. 'I would hope Chicago leadership cease their attempts to stop these workers from exercising their legal right to join our union,' SEIU 73 President Dian Palmer said in a statement. 'Given the challenges our city, state, and country are facing, denying workers their right to unionize should not be happening in a union city like Chicago.' The case is just one example of the fickle nature of public sector labor law in Illinois, where legal precedent regarding which workers are permitted to form unions and which are not can vary even within the same workplace. Cook County assistant public defenders, for instance, have been unionized since the mid-1980s. Across the courtroom, however, county prosecutors are facing decades-old state Supreme Court precedent that threatens to block their efforts to unionize. The landscape varies even among elections workers. SEIU 73 represents workers at the Cook County Board of Elections, the local has said. Workers for the state Board of Elections, on the other hand, are barred from collective bargaining by state law because they regulate the financial reporting for unions' political action committees in Illinois, the state board's spokesperson has told the Tribune.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
B.C. Labour Board certifies union at Amazon facility in Delta, B.C., Unifor says
Workers at an Amazon fulfilment centre in Delta, B.C., have been officially certified to unionize, after the B.C. Labour Relations Board found the company engaged in unfair labour practices that interfered with the unionization process. The union had applied to certify the facility for unionization last year, but the results of that vote were sealed due to an unfair labour practices complaint the union filed, alleging Amazon ramped up hiring to try to dilute union support. Following 18 days of hearings, the board on Thursday ruled that Amazon's "deliberate, calculated, and pervasive" anti-union campaign undermined the possibility of a fair vote, and granted Unifor certification through a rare remedial order that's used when employer misconduct compromises the integrity of a vote. "We're very happy for the Amazon workers that have been fighting so hard to get access to collective bargaining and a fair collective agreement," said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor's western regional director. Unifor filed its first application for union certification in April 2024, then withdrew it shortly after. A second application was filed in May. According to the Labour Board's decision, Amazon brought in 148 new employees between March and June 2024 — a period that overlapped with both certification attempts. The board found this influx, along with a coordinated anti-union campaign, substantially impacted the unionization process. Unifor alleged Amazon ramped up hiring and flooded workers with anti-union messaging, including suggestions that they could lose existing benefits if they unionized. In its ruling, the board found the company had violated B.C.'s Labour Relations Code. WATCH | Former Amazon workers urging Quebec government for more support after layoffs: "I find Amazon hired unnecessary employees, which had both the impact and purpose of impeding the Union's organizing drive," board vice-chair Gurleen Sahota said in his decision. The document describes ways the company tried to persuade employees away from unionizing, including the corporation's practice of "pulsing" wherein in it assesses culture, leadership and employee satisfaction at its sites. The process includes meeting with employees one-on-one and asking them questions about their experiences at the workplace and "educating them on Amazon's policies and procedures." "Employees were subjected to 'pulsing' by managers from various sites and a constant barrage of materials and carefully constructed anti-union messaging by Amazon…the messaging made the Union look like a bad thing," reads the decision. The certification makes the Delta warehouse only the third Amazon facility in North America to unionize following one in Staten Island, N.Y., in 2022 and another in Laval, Que., in 2024. The Laval warehouse, which employed about 230 workers, was the first Amazon site in Canada to unionize. However, the company shut down all seven of its facilities in Quebec in January 2025, citing cost savings. Thousands of workers have yet to receive proper severance or assistance, according to the union representing them. McGarrigle acknowledged Amazon's history of resisting unions, but said B.C. has stronger labour protections. "We've seen what Amazon's done in other jurisdictions…but the B.C. labour laws are strong," he said. "We're going to expect Amazon to follow the law and sit down and get into collective bargaining with us." Workers have raised concerns about unstable employment and safety at the Delta facility, he said. "Doesn't matter the size of the employer, they'll have to follow the law and they gotta take care of their workers and we're going to make sure that that happens," McGarrigle said. Amazon to appeal Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement Friday the company will challenge the decision. "This decision is wrong on the facts and the law…it goes against what our employees have said they want, and deprives them of their right to make an informed decision," she wrote. Nantel said the board overstepped by certifying the union rather than "giving our employees a chance to be heard." Mark Thompson, a professor emeritus of industrial relations at UBC's Sauder School of Business, said the board's decision is rooted in a long-standing provision of the B.C. Labour Code. Thompson said when a company's actions make a fair vote unlikely, the board can impose certification outright. "The theory is that if the company fights the union hard enough, the result is they get a union," he said. "The techniques that Amazon used were such that a vote wouldn't yield a fair result." Still, he warned that certification is only the beginning of what could be a long and difficult process. Amazon's other unionized workforce in North America, certified in Staten Island, N.Y. in 2022, still does not have a contract. "It's characteristic of Amazon, they do not want a union and they resort to many tactics to avoid having a union," Thompson said. "It will be a long haul for the workers and I'm sure they understood that this would be a long fight."
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Starbucks baristas in Burnaby join union for respect and authenticity at work
BURNABY, British Columbia, July 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Starbucks workers at Kensington Square in Burnaby are the latest to join the growing wave of unionized baristas across Canada. The United Steelworkers union (USW) proudly welcomes these workers as part of the expanding national campaign for fairness, dignity and a real voice on the job. The Kensington Square baristas organized in response to growing nationwide concerns about job security, staffing levels and inconsistent enforcement of workplace rules, including recent waves of fellow workers being fired for dress code violations. Workers say the nationwide firings sparked outrage and built support for unionization in their store. 'We want to be our authentic selves and have a real voice at work and not punished or fired for simply showing up as who we are,' said one Kensington Square worker. 'We're done being silenced and told who to be. That goes against everything Starbucks claimed to stand for and we're not staying quiet anymore. Starbucks needs to be better.' 'If you feel destabilized, under-appreciated or unheard, and you believe in a healthy, respectful workplace, just know this: from one worker to another, you are not alone,' said another Kensington Square worker. 'For us, it also came down to wanting better staffing, real job security and a real say in the policies that impact us every day.' The USW encourages Starbucks workers from other stores to take the step toward organizing. With each new location that joins, workers gain the collective strength needed to negotiate for fair treatment, better working conditions and respect at work. 'Workers at Kensington Square are joining a growing movement of baristas who are standing up and demanding better,' said Scott Lunny, USW Western Canada Director. 'These workers are showing immense courage and solidarity by organizing for their rights, and we are proud to stand with them as they build power on the job. Every new group of workers that joins the union strengthens the voice of all Starbucks workers across the country. It takes time to build, but I'm proud of the work they are doing,' added Lunny. For more information about unionizing a Starbucks location or getting involved, visit About the United Steelworkers union The USW represents 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean. Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because of the union's strong track record in creating healthier, safer and more respectful workplaces and negotiating better working conditions and fairer compensation – including good wages, benefits and pensions. For more information:Scott Lunny, USW Western Canada Director, 604-329-5308, slunny@ Barden, USW Communications, 604-445-6956, bbarden@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
