?Workers at a Blue Bird factory that builds electric school buses in Fort Valley, Ga., recently voted to unionize, a victory that unions are calling a step forward for labor in the South. President Joe Biden congratulated the workers May 14. Following the vote, the company’s chief executive stepped down.
“Where is it written that America can’t lead the world again in manufacturing?” Biden said in a statement. “The workers at Blue Bird, and at companies just like it all over the country, are proving the future can and will be built in America. And union workers will be a big part of that future.”
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Strings Attached
The United Steelworkers (USW) questioned the company’s use of federal money as the union organized. The USW filed unfair labor practice charges against Blue Bird, citing $40 million in rebates the company had received from the Environmental Protection Agency, which provided those funds could not be used for anti-union activity.
“Although we respect and support the right for employees to choose, we do not believe that Blue Bird is better served by injecting a labor union into our relationship with employees,” said Julianne Barclay, a company spokeswoman, prior to the election. “During the pending election campaign, we have voiced our opinion to our employees that a union is not in the best interest of the company or our employees.”
Changing of the Guard at Blue Bird
Matthew Stevenson, Blue Bird’s former chief executive, left Blue Bird following the union vote. The company’s announcement said Stevenson was leaving for personal reasons. He was replaced by Phil Horlock, who had been CEO until retiring in 2021.
(The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Workers’ Issues
In the Blue Bird election, 695 voted for the union and 435 voted against it. Workers have complaints about health, safety and pay.
(13 WMAZ)
Union Victory’s Location in the South Seen as Significant
“For too long, corporations cynically viewed the South as a place where they could suppress wages and working conditions because they believed they could keep workers from unionizing,” said USW District 9 Director Dan Flippo, who represents workers in Georgia and six other southern states. District 9 is headquartered in Gardendale, Ala. “Our union has a long history of fighting on behalf of workers in the South and across the country. Now as members of the USW, workers at Blue Bird have the same opportunity to make positive changes in their workplace.”
Some Starbucks Workers Seek Decertification of Union
The unionization effort at the Blue Bird factory, where more than 2,400 work, is one of the most high-profile wins for organized labor since organizing efforts took off at Starbucks last year. The coffee chain has far fewer employees at each location than the factory, but approximately 300 U.S. cafes have been unionized. Momentum had been with Starbucks workers to unionize early last year, but Starbucks workers in New York recently filed petitions to disband their union at two stores.