DL 190, in the California Bay area, has won a couple of organizing campaigns. GVP Allen congradulated everyone involved in the campaign, and encouraged them to continue their efforts to represent workers at the auto dealerships in the area. The new IAM members are a group of eight (8) service writers and dispatchers at Winter Chevrolet-Honda located in Pittsburg California. The vote was overwhelming in favor of the IAM, and the group will be in Machinists Union Local 1173. Congratulations go out to Business Representative Rick Rodgers and the whole organizing team at Local 1173 for their most recent win. This is the fifth organizing win for Local 1173 in 2010. Absolutely fantastic work by all!
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DL 190 Organizing Director Jesse Juarez has also informed the Regional Office that the District has prevailed in their hard fought battle with Penske Automotive Group for the right to represent the auto techs at the San Diego Mercedes Benz location. GVP Allen congratulated the DL190 team, stating "This may be the breakthrough we have been looking for in the Southern California automotive sector. It was a pleasure to see our District Lodges in Northern and Southern California working together for the good of the Penske techs and the good of the IAM, lets keep up the good work."
Juarez reported that despite 10 weeks of the employer tactics designed to keep workers from voting in their best interests, the IAM has defeated Team Penske @ Mercedes Benz of San Diego. "This campaign had a little of everything, several anti-union consultants and many of the top brass from PAG - including an appearance by the legendary Roger Penske himself" Juarez said, "They tried every trick in the book, including offering raises during the campaign - so that they appeared to be sympathetic to the issues of the workers - but the workers saw through their games, they knew that if the company cared about their concerns, they would have addressed them prior to the IAM showing up to help".
Juarez added, "To my knowledge this the first union dealership to go union in San Diego and a defining moment for those brave courageous men who stuck together for 10 weeks. I also want to offer special thanks to D. 725 Organizing Director Brian Miller who assisted us in this campaign".
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District 725 also was able to report a victory, organizer Brian Miller won a campaign to represent employees at DS-2, located at MCAS Miramar in San Diego. The nearly unanimous vote for the IAM sent a strong message against the company's campaign of mis-information and anti-union rhetoric (including illegal captive audience meetings within 24 hours of the election). "Congratulation to District 725, and great work by Brian Miller and all the DL 725 organizing staff", said GVP Allen, "the education that Brother Miller was able to give to these new IAM members helped them see through the company tactics."
Brother Miller credits his pre-election inoculation strategy, which prepared the workers for the upcoming company tactics and education of the laws about organizing, as the keys to victory.
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DBR Bud Duryea, out of New Mexico, has delivered a win for his unaffiliated Local Lodge 2515. GVP Allen congratulated Brother Duryea, stating “great job and congratulations to all involved. Bud, as a one-person staff with a huge area to cover, continues to prove that quality IAM representation is still the preference of workers when given a choice”. The victory brings the IAM to a new Service Contract unit, who work at Defense Support Services at Fort Bliss, TX. In addition to his responsibilities in New Mexico, including the HUGE White Sands Missile Range and Testing Facility, Brother Duryea has servicing responsibilities for a small portion of Texas, LL392, (if its possible to have anything small in Texas).
