United Steel Workers at Coastal Concrete: A Perfect Case for the EFCA

Workers to Management: We Want a Union!

In April of 2007, workers at Coastal Concrete in Savannah voted unanimously for a union at two area plants. Top issues were low pay, lack of benefits and alleged racial discrimination in pay. According to some workers, new hires whom were white were paid more than black employees who had been with the plant for nine years, doing the same work.

Management to Workers: We Don’t Care!

So they voted for a union and got one. That’s it, right? If management had been bargaining in good faith, maybe that would have done the trick.. Instead, the bosses posted misleading anti-union literature. One handbill implied having a union could lead to plant closure, another inflated the cost of USW dues. One poster reminded workers management had no obligation to agree to a union contract, even if workers voted for one. Under current law, that’s true and in this case, that’s what happened.

“After the union came, they gave us a raise,” said one Coastal Concrete worker, who did not wish to be named. “They said they were going to do it anyway,” he added. Over the next year and a half, top union supporters were fired. Hours were cut for others, citing lack of business. There still must have been enough business to hire those new employees.

United Steel Workers (USW) represented the workers, meeting repeatedly with management to agree on a contract. After twelve meetings, in 18 months, management at Coastal Concrete were still dragging their feet. After a year without a contract, management was able to file a decertification petition.

Decertification Vote and Union Solidarity

The night before the decertification vote, USW reps met with Coastal Concrete workers to inform them to vote. “I told them, ‘Don’t vote for the Steel Workers, don’t vote for [management], vote for yourselves,” said USW Representative Richard Thomas. A few Savannah CLC members made house calls to urge employees to vote.

The morning of the vote, members of the Carpenters & Millwrights, the Letter Carriers, Machinists and Office Workers showed solidarity with the workers. Signs read, “Union Yes!,” “You’re Not Alone” and “Keep the Union.”

”We always hate to lose an election.” Thomas added. “But all is not lost. Our objective from the beginning was to enhance the interest of the workers....and we accomplished that. Also, they were exposed to the truest form of UNIONISM when 4 members of other Unions showed up with vote yes signs on the day of the de-cert. Thanks to those Brothers for touching an "old" organizers heart.”

Unfortunately, the company had gotten to the workers. The firings, anti-union meetings and lack of cooperation on management’s part seemed to have broken the workers’ spirits. Some workers, who will also not be named, reported management promises of a pay raise and a 401k in exchange for a decertification vote. This of course is illegal, so it would not be put in writing. And without a written guarantee (a contract), how long do you think it will be before the excuses come? It may sound like this: ‘Yeah…. the economy’s pretty bad and all, uhhh…. things are pretty slow. We’re gonna have to let you go…’ And when the workers realize they were duped? Labor law states workers cannot campaign for a union for at least one year after a decertification vote. So it goes.