XPO continues to violate workers’ federal rights to unionization, and a hearing was held the week of Nov. 18 to hold the company accountable.

On November 1, XPO workers in Laredo, Texas held a vote on whether to continue representation as a union, and once again XPO management couldn’t help from breaking federal labor laws.

Previously in Rockaway, New Jersey, XPO management interfered in the workers’ election for representation and was held accountable. The company was found guilty by the National Labor Relations Board for breaking the law and squelching workers’ rights.

During the recent hearing before the National Labor Relations Board, Region 16, in Laredo, the Teamsters Local 657 outlined its case. The union alleged the following:

At multiple times during the weeks of Oct. 14-18, 21-25 and 28-31, 2019, XPO management threatened, coerced, and restrained election unit employees in the exercise of their federal rights, by holding mandatory employee meetings. During these meetings, the union alleged, the company stated its opposition to continued representation by Local 657, excluding and segregating known union supporters from those meetings, isolating employees whose union sentiments were unknown from union supporters, and providing discriminatory superior benefits such as refreshments and extended paid meeting time to those employees who were known company supporters, or whose union sentiments were unknown. This threatening, coercive, discriminatory conduct affected the outcome of the Nov. 1, 2019 election.

Since 2014, XPO has attempted to dilute the strength of the Laredo unit by hiring additional workers with anti-union leanings. The company’s goal was to challenge and intimidate the Laredo workforce every step of the way.  

Never forget that XPO is not your friend, it does not want you to have a voice and it certainly does not want you to exercise your rights to bargain a contract.  This company continues to break the law daily and does not have your best interests in mind at any time.

The Laredo workforce has yet another fight with XPO ahead. But the workers have proven to be a tough bunch and focused on holding XPO accountable for its numerous misdeeds.  

Those workers that choose to give up their voice in the workplace, give up the established grievance process that has protected jobs, runs, the handing out of unfair discipline, and are willing to pay more for imposed substandard health care all while having no chance at a secure retirement will be sadly standing on the sidelines if XPO is allowed to continue to abuse workers unchecked. The same is true for workers who would rather bow down to a company that does not have the workers’ best interests in mind but only worried about monetary gain at the top of the management pyramid.  

It is time for all of us to step up and show this law-breaking company that its actions are unacceptable.

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