On July 11, drivers at Praxair in Morrisville, Pennsylvania and in Wilmington, Delaware voted 22-8 to join Teamsters Local 107 in Philadelphia. There are 31 drivers in the bargaining unit.

“For far too long these drivers have worked without having a strong voice or the respect they deserve, but that will change now that they have formed their union with the Teamsters,” said Bill Hamilton, President of Local 107. “We will work hard to negotiate a strong first contract that addresses their issues.”

The workers remained united despite a vicious anti-worker, anti-union campaigned waged by the employer. In fact, one of the committee members was fired by his job midway through the campaign. Local 107 won his job back with eight days worth of back pay and benefits.

“The key was educating the workers about the union busters’ lies,” said Chris Buschmeier, organizer for Local 107. “For example, we distributed a flier that told the workers how much the company spent on union busters several years ago. We also countered the lies about their pensions.”

Workers are also seeking an end to favoritism and they want consistent rules.

“Right now the rules change every day,” Buschmeier said. “The drivers also want fair pay, especially given the hazardous gases they must handle daily.”

 

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