New Orleans Freight Employees Vote in Favor of the IATSE New Orleans Freight Employees Vote in Favor of the IATSE [1] Friday, June 7, 2013 NEW ORLEANS, LA, Jun 5 – On Wednesday, freight employees of Freeman Decorating Company overwhelmingly voted for the IATSE and Local 39 as their bargaining representatives. The Region 15 National Labor Relations Board conducted the election. Initially, the ballot included two other Unions; United Labor Unions Local 100, which previously represented the workers, and the Carpenters Union, which intervened once the RC petition was filed. United Labor withdrew its name from the ballot, leaving the employees to decide between the IATSE and the carpenters. Under the direction of International Representative Don Gandolini and Local 39 Business Agent, Alan Arthur, Local 39 has built its reputation among freight workers over the last few years. According to Gandolini, “These employees displayed an amazing amount of courage and determination by voting for the IATSE. We’re very pleased that the employer’s tactics, including threats of termination and other forms of retaliation, failed to sway the majority of eligible voters. I want to congratulate each of the employees for standing up for what they believe in and defying the odds. A special note of thanks goes out to Daniel Ambrose, Jr., for his untiring efforts.” The employees were also subjected to pressure by the intervening Union. Of the 105 eligible employees, 70 cast votes. IATSE won handily, by a margin of nearly 2 to 1. “This is an historic victory for the IATSE and Local 39 in New Orleans,” said Local 39 Business Agent Alan Arthur. “We’re committed to rebuilding this Local from a devastating labor dispute and the near total destruction of the city by Hurricane Katrina. This goes a long way to keep the Local on track.” This marks the second time this year that the IATSE and the Local were successful in organizing freight employees in New Orleans. In February, the Local won an election on behalf of Expo Group employees.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:24:02 +0000
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