Philly Guards’ Efforts Provide a Local Look at Employee Free Choice Act

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.jwjblog.org/2009/08/philly-guards-efforts-provide-a-local-look-employee-free-act/

By Fabricio Rodriguez, on August 14th, 2009

AlliedBartonThe debate over the Employee Free Choice Act is going to heat up in the next few weeks. In Philadelphia, there is an effort underway that stands out as an example of why we need to pass this critical labor law reform.



A group of AlliedBarton security officers have been struggling since 2005 to win better wages and benefits. Over the years they have used innovative direct-action strategies to win union level wages at the University of Pennsylvania and paid sick days at Temple University, Drexel University and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Despite these victories, they have watched as their hard fought gains have been eroded by their employer. For example, on Labor Day last year, the Philadelphia Museum of Art announced that they would give the security guards three days of paid sick leave. The very next week, after the news cameras had gone away, the new benefit was clarified. Workers were eligible to have up to three days of paid sick leave. In order to get that level of benefit, they had to have been employed, full time, at the same property for three years. In fact, less than 1/3 of the guards on the property can use even a single day of paid sick leave! The cuts keep coming. A few weeks ago, the expected $0.25/hour raise was repealed.

So, the guards decided that even our work place issue campaigns, which have won more than $2.5 million in new benefits, were not going to make the long-term, systemic change they need. Last year, security guard leaders like Cecelia Lynch, Donald Lindsey and Thomas Robinson decided that they wanted to form their own, independent, labor union. On December 19, 2008, Cecelia announced to a crowd of supporters that a majority of the 130 security guards at the Philadelphia Museum of Art had signed union recognition cards. These cards state that the signer wants the Philadelphia Security Officers Union to represent their collective interests.

In the next couple of weeks, the guards will try to get a large enough majority that winning a union election is possible. They may choose to file for a National labor Relations Board supervised election at that point. These guards know, however, that under the current system, forming their own union in the face of their employers anti-union actions is virtually impossible, especially since AlliedBarton has used illegal tactics against activists in the past.

This has been a long and complex campaign. It is a story of local and national importance. It is the story of normal people who have decided that they need a union. No one can claim that they are being backed by big labor. They just want to exercise their rights on the job.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVOacuWah4c&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jwjblog.org%2F2009%2F08%2Fphilly-guards-efforts-provide-a-local-look-employee-free-act%2F&feature=player_embedded

Please take a few minutes to learn more about the campaign. Below, you will find some links to more videos about the campaign More videos will be issued in the next few weeks.

1. Sitting Behind the Desk: This video was produced a few years ago and documents many of the bad working conditions that guards face.
2. Chamber of Commerce Protest: Security guards show their support for the Employee Free Choice Act
3. (part I embedded above) Badges, Budgets and Betrayals: My video blog which will explain how security guards ended up in there present situation including the Pinkertons, Taft-Hartley Amendments, Clinton Era Outsourcing and 9-11
4. Welcoming Change: DEBUT ON AUGUST 26, this video will directly address Timothy Rub, the incoming Director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Fabricio Rodriguez is an organizer at Philadelphia Jobs with Justice. Check out their blog.

[57_TomCat]

1. As a current union member and...

past steward, I do not believe this Free Choice bill is the right way to go as it eliminates the secret ballot which is the foundation of our republic. Having been a victim of "pressure" from some past union activists I can easily see how the card check would be abused, causing long term damage to union activities.

I hope the guards can win their ballot and the union representation assist them with better working conditions. On the other hand, not having a ballot prevents people with honest reservations about union membership from making their choice in secret, without pressure. I know well how that pressure can be manipulated to force the signing of a card that was under duress. Those types of members can cause far more harm than good and they have good reasons to be sticks in the mud.

Better to win fair and have support of the membership and management than to force the issue and look like we are perpetrating a fraud.