IAM Campaign at Swedwood in the News
July 7, 2011
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Workers employed at Swedwood, an IKEA subsidiary in Danville, VA, are adding national and international media exposure as part of their campaign to win IAM representation at the facility.
GS President Per-Olof Sjöö of the Swedish union of forestry, wood and graphical workers recently met with U.S. Swedwood workers in a show of support and to answer questions. Swedwood’s Danville plant is one of 40 production units in 10 countries.
Sjöö expressed concern about labor-management conditions in the U.S. and the hurdles U.S. workers must overcome, including worrying about losing their jobs for supporting the union organizing drive. “That for me is outrageous,” Sjöö told the Danville Register & Bee. Sjöö promised to voice the workers’ concerns with IKEA in Sweden where IKEA touts itself as a company that treats workers and the environment with respect.
The organizing campaign also picked up national exposure with a satirical segment that aired on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Click here to watch the Daily Show segment.
Swedwood workers in Danville are set to vote on joining the Machinists union on July 27th in an election supervised by that National Labor Relations Board.
