Hazardous Waste Company Trashes Union Organizing Attempt
A California-based hazardous waste hauler and an Arizona-based waste hauler sent the Teamsters packing. Teamster Local 166 filed a single petition to represent drivers for the two companies jointly. The two companies perform very different services and the qualifications for drivers for the two companies is significantly different. However, both companies share one significant trait – they treat their workers well! This was the ultimate secret to their victory!
Trashing the Union’s Legal Claim
The Teamsters petition was flawed from the outset. A union cannot organize two distinct companies under the same petition. The companies initially challenged the petition on those grounds. However, after hearing the groundswell of support from the rank and file relating to the petition filing, leaders from both companies changed course. Instead of weeks or months of litigation, they decided that trashing the union attempt was the better route. They withdrew their challenges to the petition, and let the will of their employees be heard.
Trashing the Union’s Claim of Employee Support
The pair of companies are experts in movement and disposal of waste. They knew from the extreme support the employees of both companies expressed after the union’s petition that trashing this union so it never returned would be the best course. The companies partnered with union campaign experts NLRA to craft a campaign strategy that would highlight the great things these companies offer. The strategy was a success and the the number of company supporters openly opposed to unionization swelled from the initial supporters to overwhelming numbers.
Trashing the Union’s Petition
There is a statistic that union’s love to cite, namely that they win well north of 65% of all elections to organize a company. The Teamsters petition in this case, however, will never show up in any calculation for that statistic! Why? Because the union withdrew the petition because it knew that it had zero chance of winning. In essence, no election means no loss which means better stats. It’s all smoke and mirrors!
Here are the real numbers. In May 2021, there were 121 Representation Petitions filed with the NLRB by unions seeking to organize companies. 31 of those petitions were withdrawn just as the Teamsters petition in this case. Unions won 61 elections, but there were only 90 elections actually held. This gives the unions a 68% win-rate. But wait! When they withdraw due to diminished support, that is the same as a loss! 61 wins out of 121 petitions filed represents a 50% win-rate.
Trashing the Union’s Stats
Congratulations to these American success stories or their WIN! If you find yourself facing a union petition, don’t listen to the hype and the statistics. The outcome is not a foregone conclusion! The union’s advantage is no more than a coin flip – unless you change your odds! Reach out to NLRA. We don’t just level the playing field, we tilt it in your favor – just ask any of our former clients. Don’t pad the union’s stats – get a professional on your side today!