A determined group of sixty-eight Ground and Facility Maintenance workers employed by Service Contract Act vendor “Call Henry Inc.” located at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, OH voted overwhelmingly (51-7) to join the IAM and leave their former Teamster Union.
“These workers went a long time without proper representation while watching their retirement go down the drain because of a ‘critical red’ status Teamster Pension Fund that these members belonged to,” said Eastern Territory Special Representative Mark Ward. “They watched their benefits stay frozen and reduced for the last time, that’s when they contacted the IAM.”
“The day we won the election, the company made threats of reducing their contractually bound benefits down to Area Wage Determination levels,” said Ward. “We have filed Unfair Labor Practice charges against the employer for their conduct and are awaiting a ruling as early as this week. We are also working with NASA to ensure that no further unlawful activity is enacted.”
Since the win at this location, the IAM has been contacted by other company workers seeking to be represented by the IAM. District Lodge 60 and Motor City Local Lodge No. 698 Director of Organizing Joe M. Young says “We are actively working with these groups to organize.”
“This is a great win for our new members at the NASA Glenn Research Center and we look forward to showing these members what being represented properly in the aerospace sector is all about” said Eastern Territory GVP Lynn D Tucker, Jr.