Request for Union Representation of South Bend Housing Authority Maintenance Workers
Coordinating Committee Statement:
In early 2007, 16 out of 18 South Bend Housing Authority maintenance workers signed cards indicating that they wished to be represented by Teamsters Local Union 364 in a collective bargaining agreement. Local 364 asked the Housing Authority to recognize it as collective bargaining agent, but the Authority refused. The Local then asked the South Bend Housing Authority to hold a secret ballot election to determine whether or not Housing Authority maintenance workers wish to be represented by Local 364 for purposes of collective bargaining. Again, the Housing Authority refused, although no public vote of the Housing Authority Commissioners was ever taken.
The Coordinating Committee of the Community Forum for Economic Development supports the right of the maintenance workers to choose to be represented by a union and urges the Housing Authority to reconsider its decision and hold this election. If you agree, we attach a sample letter to the Housing Authority that you can use to indicate your support.
We support the maintenance workers’ request for two reasons.
First is the issue of democracy and human rights. If the maintenance
workers want to be represented by a union, they should be able to. The
United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares (Article
23, subsection 4) that "Everyone has the right to form and to join
trade unions for the protection of his [or her] interests."
Second, since economic development involves increasing living
standards and opportunities for people in our community, unions can
play an important role in that process. When unions negotiate better
conditions of work and provide workers a voice on the job, they set a
standard that benefits all workers.
Also, positive Labor/Management relations are a key to economic
development because they are conducive to greater morale and
productivity, as we have seen at local companies like A.M. General.
Unions play an important role in facilitating dialogue between
management and staff.