Workers Have the Final Word - Vote For USW After Employer Refuses to Recognize Card Check Results

A majority of the 450 production and maintenance workers at a Collins & Aikman facility in Americus, Ga. have exercised their legal rights to gain USW representation.

Workers won a traditional National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election, gaining the majority vote that was needed. Election results were counted and made official on June 16, 2005.

Even though the USW has a neutrality agreement with Collins & Aikman that allows for a card-check authorization campaign, the Steelworkers filed a petition for traditional NLRB election after the company failed to recognize that a majority of authorization cards had been signed.

Rather than face a lengthy court battle, during which time the workers would not have union representation, the USW opted to let the workers do the talking through an election. The employees responded by voting to have the Steelworkers as their bargaining agent.

Also noteworthy in this campaign is the fact that the USW had to fend off the efforts of another union that tried to move in and sign up workers once the Steelworkers’ campaign had already started.

The newest Steelworkers are members of USW District 9, where Connie Entrekin is Director. The USW represents more than 1.2 million active and retired members in wide variety of occupations across North America.