The International Socialist Organization reports
The Burgerville Workers Union (BVWU) in Portland, Oregon, has become the first federally recognized fast-food workers union in the U.S.
With a vote of 18-4 in a National Labor Relations Board election, workers at Store #41 notched an important victory in the drive to organize the 1,500 workers at all 42 Burgerville sites located in Oregon and southwest Washington. BVWU spokesperson Emmett Schlenz says that six of the company's locations now have publicly active unions. Workers at another store have already filed for an NLRB election.
[...] The union has been pressing for a $5 an hour raise, stable scheduling, affordable health care, paid maternity/paternity leave, free childcare and transportation, and an end to the employer's use of e-verify to exclude undocumented immigrant workers.
Using direct action tactics, including mass picketing with community allies, occupations and a three-day strike at four restaurants, the all-volunteer BVWU has drawn the support of dozens of local unions, many community and faith-based organizations, and some elected officials.
The union called a boycott of Burgerville after a number of union activists were fired.
[...] The union's announcement of its victory stated:
In this moment of victory, we want to celebrate, yes, but we also want to turn our attention to the 4.5 million other fast-food workers in the United States. We want to speak to everyone else who works for poverty wages, who are constantly disrespected on the job, who are told they aren't educated enough, aren't experienced enough, aren't good enough for a decent life. To all of those workers, to everyone like us who works rough jobs for terrible pay, we say this:
Don't listen to that bullshit. Burgerville workers didn't, and look at us now.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Sulla on Thursday May 03 2018, @02:55PM (1 child)
My problem lies not with unions or workers who want to be unionized but the bane on society that is union middlemen. I have worked places where the union members do not and have not worked for the unionized company and themselves just work for the separate union. This caused problems for the unionized workers when the union workers would take worse deals because it got the union more money. I imagine some places have protections against this but mine did not.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 03 2018, @09:45PM
A union is a democracy.
Everyone gets a vote and every vote is equal to any other vote.
If you don't like what's being done, VOTE THE BASTARDS OUT.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]