Workers at Portland Specialty Baking voted yesterday on whether to unionize with Bakers Local 114. The result: 123 no to 38 yes. That’s despite 102 workers having signed union authorization cards as of just a few weeks ago. The vote comes after two weeks of non-stop campaigning by management following the advice of a union-avoidance consultant. A more detailed story will follow.
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Great job good organization keep up the good work and reap the benefits all working people deserve. Sounds like the bakery is making a huge profit and not willing to share with the people who are the backbone of the company
I retired from the Freightliner Manufacturing Plant Sept. 2013, and was a union member for over 35 years. As much as the Union did for us in the past, it seems like having a union does promote a “us versus them” mentality. Freightliner (Daimler Trucks North America) has a VERY BAD view of the workers at the plant. I don’t know where the workers would be without a Union (especially now), but we lost a LOT of benefits over the years. I had to retire to maintain my secondary medical insurance at age 65, 3 years before I was planning to retire. The people at this Bakery are just wanting to keep their jobs, and I don’t blame them. Most are people from other countries who are probably used to making a lot less than $10 an hour, and have made due with their current wage. The company just wants to stay in business (although $10 an hour is too low in my estimation). I see both sides, and I’m not sure a Union is the answer.
102 yes cards a few weeks ago down to 38 yes votes, good mgmt organization or pressure????
hey Dave, you are an idiot if you think they suddenly decided they didn’t need a union, management scared the hell out of them with their lies. The union does not promote an us vs them mentality, it is the employer that does this in their negotiations and anti union campaigns. You lost benefits over the years because the company pushed for it and members, afraid to strike, let it go through.
You don’t know why the workers changed their minds- you just assume that the employer committed some wrongdoing to cause it. Deciding whether or not to unionize is a process given to the workers. I’m sure initially everything the union had to say sounded good- they spent a lot of money on their campaign. Maybe the workers looked into it further and changed their minds. If the company broke some laws to affect the vote, they should be punished. If the union broke some laws to get the votes, they should be punished. Otherwise, if the workers decided that they didn’t want a union, then accept that and back off.
Unions aren’t for everyone, whether you like it or not. Don’t be blinded by your beliefs. Companies and workers that don’t want to unionize should be allowed to make that decision and move on. They should not be continually attacked and confronted by a well-funded union “campaign” that won’t take “no” for an answer. Maybe some transparency on how much unions spend and where the money comes from to attack companies is in order.
I think the unions have too much leeway when they try to organize a company. If a company did some of the things that unions are allowed to do, the unions would be calling fowl and filing charges..
Unions are given a lot of help and support- mostly by the NLRA and other unions. If they can get all of that help and still can’t get it done, maybe the message is “go away”.
foul
i don’t think he understood you Bruce!! lol
Dave Barton…I also am a retiree from frieghtliner and a former president of local lodge 1005 IAMAW….I am shocked at your comment of you don’t think a union is the answer, this bakery makes millions in profits off the sweat of these unpaid employees, I have been a lot of organizing campaigns and trying to keep members from decerting! Just kind of floors me??
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