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Johnson Controls Employees In Columbia Choose The UAW
By Charlie McMahon
(Taken from UAW Local 1853 News)
Photos by Jack Cobb

Under the direction of UAW Region 8 Director Gary Casteel, Region 8 Organizer
Kenneth Brewer began a drive to organize Johnson Control Industries in Columbia TN to join the United Auto Workers and have the UAW recognized as the bargaining agent for JCI’s employees. Brother Casteel gave direction for Organizer Kenneth Brewer to begin the drive; because of an overwhelming amount of phone calls received from workers at JCI. Many of these workers were former members of UAW Local 1853 who worked at the Interior factory in Lewisburg or are retirees from our own GM Spring Hill Mfg. These brothers and sisters knew the importance and benefit of belonging to a union and wanted the UAW to represent them.

Director Gary Casteel and Ken Brewer called upon Local 1853 President Mike O’Rourke and GM Unit Bargaining Chairman Mike Herron to lend support for this Organizing effort President O’Rourke assigned Local Vice President Tim Stannard to head-up this drive for the Local. VP Stannard, utilized laid off members and members after work or others who used vacation time to pitch in and help get our brothers and sisters recognition from JCI and become a unionized shop.

On June 18, President O’Rourke, VP Stannard, Financial Secretary Mark Wunderlin and a large group of our members went to the JCI to pass out leaflets letting the workers there know that the UAW was responding to their call for help and we would be doing a card check-off drive beginning the next day. The response from the JCI employees was overwhelmingly positive.

Region 8 Organizer Ken Brewer set up a tent down the street from JCI for them to sign cards to authorize the UAW to bargain. Of the 150 current JCI employees 138 signed check-off cards. Brother Brewer relayed this information to Director Casteel who immediately informed Solidarity House and International Vice-President Bob King. Vice-President King began having talks with the Johnson Controls upper management and was able to secure a neutrality agreement from the company.

The neutrality agreement meant that the local JCI management would not harass any of their employees who where talking about joining the UAW and they also would not fight the UAW and its Organizing effort. Vice-President King is also working to get JCI to recognize the Card Check as the basis for recognition instead of demanding a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recognition election. Johnson Controls committed to Vice-President Bob King to make a decision by this Wednesday night (6/25/08) whether they would recognize the Card Check.

At a meeting with the JCI workers held Friday 6/20/08 at the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Union Hall (graciously donated by the FOP) near the JCI plant the workers were talked to by Region 8 Organizer Ken Brewer, Region 8 Servicing Rep Ray Curry, Local1853 Mike O’Rourke and GM Unit Chair Mike Herron, Brother Herron explained to the JCI workers that when they joined the UAW and Local 1853 they would vote in their own bargaining committee and negotiate their own contract which would include demands that they felt were needed. Mike stated that all of the UAW resources from the International and Region as well as our Local would be available to them.

Coordinated fast action and hard work by the International UAW, Region 8 and our own Local has the Columbia JCI workers very near achieving their hope of being represented by the UAW. All of us can be very proud of our union and the coordinated effort by all the levels of the UAW in working for our brothers and sisters and we need to be proud of the JCI workers who understand the necessity of having strong union representation and had the courage to stand up and demand it.

This past Wednesday Region 8 Servicing Rep., Ray Curry and Local 1853 President Mike O’Rourke held their scheduled weekly meeting with the Johnson Controls Industry workers who are seeking UAW representation from JCI. Region 8 and our local are deeply involved in helping the 98% of JCI workers in Columbia, TN who have signed cards requesting that the UAW be their bargaining agent. At the meeting Brother Curry informed the 90 or so workers present that there would be a meeting in Detroit next week between the UAW, GM and JCI. Discussion would be centered around the organizing effort here in Columbia and the need for the Johnson Controls to recognize these workers rights to be represented by a union, recognize the card check and not force an NLRB election.

The workers present also informed Brother’s Curry and O’Rourke about the sweatshop conditions that they are currently working in and other Unfair Labor Practices that are occurring at their facility. During the meeting members of our local led by Vice-President Tim Stannard cooked and served burgers, hot dogs, chips and drinks to our sisters and brothers at JCI. The meeting was held at the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) hall, which as always was generously donated by their members.

Members of Local 1853 as all of you have read in the UAW News, the leadership of Region 8 and our Local has been telling GM management that we were going to be putting UAW seats and consoles into the UAW built Traverse. As of 7/15/2008, General Motors Spring Hill has been officially notified that there is no option, UAW 1883 workers will only build the Chevy Traverse, with UAW made seats and consoles. Our brothers and sisters at Johnson Control Industries (JCI) are desperately asking for their rights, which are guaranteed them under the National Labor Relations Act (a.k.a. Labor Management Relations Act). Under this Act, workers are guaranteed the right to form a Union and bargain collectively. JCI in concert with General Motors is denying our working brothers and sisters these basic rights. JCI and GM are refusing to recognize the rights of this workforce to organize. Tuesday JCI informed the UAW in Detroit that they are refusing to recognize the UAW at the JCI Columbia, TN facility even though the JCI workers have overwhelmingly chosen to have the UAW act as their bargaining agent. Ninety-five percent (95%) of the workers at JCI have signed Union Check Cards. One hundred and sixty out of 168 workers at JCI have taken the courageous step of defying an intimidating management group and said Union/Yes!

Members of Local 1853, our brothers and sisters at JCI are making $10 to $13 dollars an hour while in 2007 the CEO of Johnson Controls Industries John M. Barth, made $23,157,400 according to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). At a JCI facility in Pulaski, TN the UAW represented workforce there makes up to $18.00 an hour with a vastly superior benefit package compared with those of the Columbia JCI workers.
Brothers and sisters of Local 1853, this is not an issue that the UAW just came up with. Region 8 Director Gary Casteel and Region 8 Servicing Rep. Ray Curry along with our Local President, Mike O’Rourke and GM Unit Bargaining Chairperson, Mike Herron have been telling GM both in Detroit and here in Spring Hill that we were not going to go from a Union supplier (Interior) to a scab supplier as GM has tried to force on us with JCI.

All levels of our Union have been working this issue for over two years, since the sourcing of the seats became an issue. General Motors received assurances from Johnson Controls that they would be able to supply seats at a cheap rate because they would not have to pay Union wages and benefits. Johnson Controls assumed that wages and benefits would not be an issue because JCI would move away from the GM plant and our two workforces would not have contact with each other, thus making it possible to treat the JCI workers as though they were in a Third World Nation instead of the United States. Our Union is realistic about the economic conditions in the country today. We are not asking JCI to pay its workers in Columbia a comparable wage to their CEO John Barth ($23,157,400); we are asking that these hard workers be treated with dignity and paid a living wage with fair benefits, so they and their families can survive in George Bush’s America.

The next step for the brothers and sisters at Johnson Controls is to hold a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election under the provisions of the National Labor Relations Act. This election; which will be supervised and run by the NLRB to determine whether the JCI workers will be organized and granted the right to become Unionized shop.
The International UAW as well as our Local are committed to doing all that is possible to see that our sisters and brothers at JCI win their struggle for Union recognition, an end sweatshop working conditions and gain a living wage. All of us here at UAW Local 1853 need to be supportive of our sisters and brothers at JCI. We may be called upon to help picket, donate food, time or money to this great cause. This Local is the most generous and Union supporting Local in America and the workers at JCI will need to be able to depend on our help and support.

As you are all aware of now, our brothers and sisters at John Control Industries (JCI), the supplier for Chevy Traverse seats and consoles have gone on strike to achieve Union recognition. UAW International Vice-Presidents Cal Rapson and Bob King as well as Region 8 Director Gary Casteel have been deeply involved with both JCI and GM to help these workers win Union recognition and have the UAW serve as their bargaining agent. Unfortunately neither JCI nor GM have shown the slightest bit of interest in allowing these workers their right to organize or affording them a living wage or decent benefits so that they and their families can live and work with dignity.

These brave workers have taken the courageous step of collectively walking off of their jobs to fight both JCI and GM for Union recognition and the right to collectively bargain for humane working conditions. Region 8 Assistant Director Donny Bevis, Region 8 Servicing Rep Ray Curry, and Region 8 Organizer Ken Brewer joined the JCI workers on the picket line. Each of the Region 8 leaders spoke to the brothers and sisters and informed them of the actions being taken by the UAW on their behalf. Many of our Local 1853 Leaders lead by Local President Mike O’Rourke and GM Unit Bargaining Chairperson Mike Herron took vacation time yesterday to walk the picket line and show support for the JCI sisters and brothers.

The overwhelming display of solidarity and commitment shown by the JCI workers at the beginning of the work day at the Columbia facility had that plant’s managers visibly shaken and scurrying to cell phones to get direction from their superiors in Detroit. JCI had already imported a Security firm from Detroit along with that firms hired goons (also from out of state) to try to intimidate the workers. That tactic failed miserably as the brothers and sisters defiantly chanted, danced and marched to music that was freely supplied by UAW worker/DJ, Steve Steadman. Although there was a party atmosphere everyone understood the seriousness of the situation and what was at stake. All present understood that they might have placed their livelihood in jeopardy. The strikers talked about what it was they were trying to achieve and what actions and consequences might happen in their fight. However, the brothers and sisters also realized that the drastic action they had taken was their only chance to have JCI and General Motors recognize them as real people who deserved and demanded to be treated respectfully.

While on the picket line several people came by and informed the strikers that they had been notified by the Tennessee Career Center that they should report to the JCI facility prior to 6am on Thursday to report for work. They were informed by the Career Center that according to officials at JCI they would not need a drug screen or take any physical or aptitude tests, just report! Those that came by told the strikers that they would honor their picket line. In fact; this morning of the 20 people that the Career Center contacted (this number was given to the UAW by the Tennessee Career Center) only nine reported. Obviously, breaking this organizing effort by the JCI workers and the UAW is more important to Johnson Controls and General Motors than having a safe, drug free, quality work site. Breaking this strike for recognition is more important to JCI and GM than having a quality launch with a quality Chevy Traverse for our customers. With this attitude no wonder GM is having the troubles they are.

The strikers have been receiving support not only from the UAW. The Teamsters have dropped off food and snacks as well as refusing to cross the picket line and make deliveries to JCI. Also, the Communication Workers of America (CWA) have brought cold water and snacks as well as supplying a huge beach umbrella for JCI workers to get some shade under while they are on the hot, sunny picket line. This morning, one of the plants maintenance men who had gone into work and not joined in the strike turned his radio into management and walked out of the facility and joined his sisters and brothers on the picket line.

The enormity of the show of solidarity by the JCI sisters and brothers both yesterday and today hit home with JCI. Three of their top executives flew to Nashville this morning after having asked to meet with Region 8 Director Gary Casteel and his staff to try and reach a solution on the strike by our brothers and sisters at JCI in Columbia. That meeting is to occur at 1pm in Lebanon at the Region 8 Headquarters today 7/16/08. Brother Gary Casteel has told the JCI workers that there is only one solution to Johnson Controls problem and that is to recognize them and their right to Unionize, granting the UAW as the sole bargaining agent for the Columbia facility. The UAW News will keep you informed of changing and new developments.
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