Workers Reject Union at Target Store

[The Northerner]

The nation’s main union for retail workers lost a unionization vote on Friday at a Target store in Valley Stream, N.Y., in what was an effort to make it the first of Target’s 1,750 stores in the United States to be unionized.

A spokeswoman for Target said on early Saturday morning that 137 workers had voted against joining the union, the United Food and Commercial Workers, while 85 workers voted for it.

In a statement, the union’s president, Bruce W. Both, said that the workers at the Valley Stream store endured a “campaign of threats, intimidation and illegal acts by Target management,” and that the union would contest the results.

“Target did everything they could to deny these workers a chance at the American dream,” he said. “However, the workers’ pursuit of a better life and the ability to house and feed their families is proving more powerful. These workers are not backing down from this fight. They are demanding another election. They are demanding a fair election. They are demanding justice and they are prepared to fight for it.”

In the days before the vote, union officials said a victory would be a coup that would create momentum for organizing drives at retail stores not just in New York, but in other states. Target executives repeatedly told the store’s 250 hourly employees that no union was needed and that the union would make work rules more rigid and make it harder for Target to compete.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/18/business/18target.html?_r=1&hp

[pstokely]

1. That crappy propaganda video must have worked

somehow

[LiberalFighter]

2. They usually do.

[Very_Boring_Name]

5. Likely it was the underlying threat that Target kept making that they would shut down the store

if it unionized was the reason.

[Sherman A1]

11. Agreed

Unfortunate.

[lpbk2713]

3. Once again people vote against their own interests.

It always amazes me.

[Violet_Crumble]

4. Anti-union workers can stop other workers from joining a union? That's ridiculous...

As well as not being very democratic at all. I'm in a union and I work with people who aren't in the union, but we all get to choose for ourselves whether or not we'll join. What a shame the same doesn't happen in the US...

[Very_Boring_Name]

6. I have a question

Do the people who are not in the union still benefit from the perks of the union? i.e do they make unionized wages, etc?

[Violet_Crumble]

8. That's a good question...

They do benefit, as the union negotiates pay and conditions with my employer on behalf of all employees, not just union members. At first glance it doesn't seem fair, but most people are aware that if everyone just went 'no need to join the union. I'll let the others join instead.' there'd be no union in the end to negotiate for us. We have a pretty strong union membership (not sure what the exact percentage is in the organisation I work for), so it's never really been an issue...

[PSPS]

10. Yes, they do.

It may vary from state to state, but when I worked for a unionized company, it was an "agency shop." Joining the union was optional, but all workers worked under the union agreement.

[Blecht]

7. Propaganda works

My gut reaction would be to shout, "Morons!"

But that wouldn't be fair -- propaganda works. None of us is immune to it.

This is so fucking depressing.

[OBotModel54]

12. calling em them Morons

is fair.

Yes it was in creditability stupid to vote against the union but the that is what they choose to do.

Because they choose to go this route, I now longer care why happens to the employees.

If they don't care enough why should I?

[CarmanK]

9. WI is the beginning of CHANGE !!

The repukes have been very successful in beating down unions for over 30 years, but the workers across the country are beginning to wake up. There are three legs on the stool for economic success: land, labor and capital. All are necessary and all should expect and receive a fair return on their contribution to the market place. Unions are a necessary voice for labor. And the real economists recognize that the labor force is the real value of a nation. So, the union needs to spread its message stronger and deeper. The unions are needed to bring fair and balanced back into the market place and restore the middle class which is the guts of this democracy.

[OBotModel54]

13. when the Walker Brothers

heads are literally on pikes on the Capital Grounds then you will have real change.

[Highway61]

14. The people who voted against

the union....screw em. The ones who pushed for the union are so done. They will not be working there once the big guys start in on them.

[IamK]

15. "they could to deny these workers a chance at the American dream"

that might be a little over the top.... I guess it depends on his definition of living the American Dream.. If getting carts in the rain for an extra buck an hour is your dream, I guess he could be right..

[City Lights]

16. I've come to despise Target as much as I despise Walmart. nt