The workers at DNJ4, represented by unionization lead organizer William Navarro, are demanding significant changes to address a range of issues they face daily. These include concerns over workplace safety, inadequate access to pain relief medication, and disparities in promotions and recognition for their contributions.

“At DNJ4, we’re not just asking for fair treatment, we’re demanding it,” stated Navarro. “Workers deserve respect, fair wages, and a safe working environment. We won’t stop until these demands are met.”

The worker’s demands include a starting wage of $30 per hour, 180 hours of paid time off, job security, and union representation in all disciplinary meetings. These demands reflect the workers’ determination to secure better working conditions and compensation for their labor.

One pressing issue highlighted by the workers is the lack of adequate safety measures, particularly on weekends when L4 Safety personnel are unavailable. Concerns about pallets left scattered on the dock floor, improper storage of pallet jacks, and inadequate access to gloves have raised alarms among the workforce.

Navarro’s recent social media post underscored the frustration felt by many workers at DNJ4, citing a perceived lack of appreciation, favoritism in promotions, and a culture of disrespect within the management hierarchy. The DNJ4 workers’ effort has attracted the attention of presidential candidate Marianne Williamson, and Navarro’s impassioned plea for fairness and respect resonates with many employees who feel overlooked and undervalued.

As the momentum for unionization grows, workers at DNJ4 remain steadfast in their resolve to fight for a workplace that respects their dignity, values their contributions, and ensures their well-being.

Labor Today stands firmly with the workers of DNJ4 and all Amazon facilities in their right to organize and advocate for their own safety, representation, and benefits. The unionization effort at DNJ4 is not just a local movement but a symbol of workers’ empowerment and collective action nationwide against corporate exploitation.

The post Workers at Amazon’s DNJ4 Warehouse Push Forward in Unionization Effort first appeared on Labor Today.

The supposedly “union-friendly” Biden administration, as well as UAW president Shawn Fain, are hailing the contract as a historic victory, and to a casual observer, the contract does seem to provide many large wins, including: 11% immediate raise, 25% over 4 years (workers initially asked for 40%), reinstated cost-of-living adjustments (COLA), elimination of a “two-tier” wage system, decreasing time to top pay from 8 years to 3 years, increased funding of the pension plan, and the right to strike over plant closures. This last one will be critical as plants continue to threaten to move overseas. Also, there is a fear some plants will be closed, moved to less union-friendly states, or otherwise re-shuffled in the push to create Electric Vehicles.

Part of the problem, according to workers at the Louisville plant and others who have rejected similar contracts, is that during the financial crisis of 2007, workers made many concessions and so, are still doing significantly worse than they were before 2007. Specifically, workers hired after 2007 were denied pensions and retiree health benefits. These contracts failed to adequately address this issue. In fact, when adjusted for inflation, it will take 3 more years for the top wage to reach where it was in the early 2000s. Some workers point out that in the 1960s, it was possible to raise a family on one parent’s income from the auto factory, and those days are largely gone. By rejecting this contract, Ford workers in Louisville are saying they are tired of being forced to pay for the crisis caused by the bankers and big business.

Many have positively compared new UAW president Shawn Fain to post-war president Walter Reuther due to his more militant rhetoric. Workers in Louisville, however, have been more critical possibly signaling he’s more similar to the Reuther who helped change the Congress of Industrial Organizations (C.I.O.) away from a militant class-oriented trade unionism to the business unionism that led to its merger into the AFL-CIO than the one who led the UAW during its strongest period. Workers rejecting a similar contract at Stellantis in Michigan complain that Fain “dropped their demands” for company paid pensions and retiree health benefits. KTP workers say that Fain sent them back to work before the vote was even held showing a lack of seriousness on his part to hold Ford bosses’ feet to the fire. KTP workers also point out that managers inside the factory have been speeding up processes and employees are threatened with write-ups for interruptions. There have also reportedly been issues with inaccurate checks and difficulties getting overtime pay.

Although the Ford contract passed with 69.3% ratifying, in Louisville, these workers have shown that they are fed up with years of being over-worked and underpaid, and they are willing to carry on the proud tradition of past generations of labor activists to put themselves on the line and demand what they are owed. The “Stand Up” Strike of September and October resulted in the current contract which definitely has some wins. According to workers at KTP however there is still has a ways to go to bringing current workers to the standards that those past generations were at. The Kentucky Truck Plant is one of the country’s most profitable plants (they were called to strike on October 11^th) and the strikes cost the auto industry billions of dollars. These workers know what they are worth, that these billions of dollars of earnings are not possible without their labor. We at Labor Today support these workers in their continued struggle.

Photo Credit: Chris Otts, WDRB

The post UAW Rank-and-File Members at Ford Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville Vote Against Contract Despite Ratification first appeared on Labor Today.

Workers at Amazon’s KCVG Airhub have been pressured by the bosses against unionization. Jordan Quinn, an employee for the air hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, says that it’s nonsensical how a multinational corporation, such as Amazon, treats its employees.

“When people experience how hard we have to work, and how we don’t get paid enough, how we don’t get enough time off, and how we don’t get enough benefits, then Amazon will try and find a way to fire people for any reason,” Quinn said.

The unionization drive kicked off in May and Quinn joined the efforts. The group is calling for a $30 an hour starting wage (currently $21 an hour), 180 hours of paid time off, representation at disciplinary meetings, safer working conditions, and better translation services for those that speak English as their second language, as explained by the union organizer, Marcio Rodriguez.

“They refuse to give them training in their language, translation for HR in their language, or any type of translation with HR disciplinary matters,” Rodriguez said. “We need to communicate in this job. It’s very dangerous. We’re dealing with airplanes. We’re loading these cans that weigh thousands of pounds, where if you mis-communicate one thing, you could get crushed by it, get hurt or even killed. There’s no reason. Somebody’s going to get hurt. These people aren’t getting trained properly, and they’re going to hurt their coworkers, or they’re going to hurt themselves. And nobody comes to work to get hurt.”

In order to file for union elections, they need a minimum 30% of the workforce to sign union cards. Quinn said that over 1,000 employees have signed up.

Quinn said: “We know about co-workers getting intimidated by management, both at the union tables and on the floor. They’ve just been freaking out, to be honest. And I think we have them scared. Because they know we have momentum on our side.”

Management has ramped up its retaliation in recent months, up to and including having their jobs threatened for setting up union tables.

“It’s just ridiculous, blatant intimidation,” Quinn said. “Every worker has the right to protect a concerted activity under section seven of the national labor relations act. They’re violating that law. They know that they’re violating it. But Amazon’s not willing to put the law above crushing a union. Because they know if we get a union, they’re going to have to pay us more, and treat us better. That’s why they’re fighting so hard.”

Earlier this month, about 25 employees marched on the boss to deliver an unfair labor practice charge filed with the National Labor Relations Board against site leadership. It must be noted that due to the new rules approved by the NLRB in August, if the NLRB rules in favor of the workers, they will automatically win union representation.

Quinn said management told workers they’d speak to them individually, but not as a group. This simply furthers their attempts to divide the workers and break the unionization drive.

He said he’s confident the group will eventually prevail in establishing a union to address those concerns. In the meantime, they’ll keep coming to work and organizing.

The post Amazon Workers at KCVG Airhub Continue Unionization Struggle first appeared on Labor Today.