Thomas Built Bus Workers Vote for UAW

A majority of workers at Thomas Built Bus in High Point, N.C., voted Wed., June 29, in favor of union representation during an election supervised by the National Labor Relations Board. Fifty-eight percent of
workers voted in favor of UAW representation, with 716 votes out of more than 1,200 ballots cast.

"This is a great victory for our members, for our plant and for our community," said Niels Chapman, president of UAW Local 5287. "We've been working hard for a long time to form our own union, so today's vote is really important for all of us. Now we're ready to negotiate a contract that will improve our plants and improve our jobs."

"TBB workers have a lot to be proud of today," said Gary Casteel, director of UAW Region 8, which includes North Carolina and other southeastern states. "They stuck together despite unjustified attacks
against the democratic process by the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and others who oppose the exercise of civil rights in the workplace.

"A majority of TBB workers already voted in favor of union representation during a card check election last year," said Casteel. "Yesterday's vote confirms that result and shows that card-check is a fair, fast way to determine majority sentiment about union representation."

A March 2004 card check at TBB, which resulted in a majority vote in favor of union representation, was challenged by the Right to Work Foundation. To avoid protracted litigation, TBB management and the UAW agreed to set aside the 2004 election and proceed with an NLRB-supervised vote.

During the past two years, thousands of workers in North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee have become part of the UAW as a result of a neutrality agreement with Freightliner, the parent corporation of TBB.
Freightliner is a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler.

Since workers organized in 2003, workers at Freightliner manufacturing plants in Gastonia and Cleveland have negotiated first contract agreements, which improve wages and benefits. The company has hired more
than 2,500 workers in Freightliner and Gastonia since workers organized in 2003.

"DaimlerChrysler and Freightliner have honored their commitment to allow workers to make up their own minds about union representation," said UAW Vice President Nate Gooden, who directs the union's DaimlerChrysler Department and its Heavy Trucks Department. "We have a solid partnership that has benefited our members and the community."

"The successful vote in High Point today shows what happens when workers have a free choice about union representation," said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. "It's unfortunate that their effort to form their own union was delayed for more than a year by legal challenges. We're going to continue to work with employers to create partnerships that respect workers' rights, and we expect the National Labor Relations Board to follow the law by assisting these efforts to promote labor-management cooperation."