July 2008, Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton edition of The Union News

UAW organizes workers in Cherryville and Northampton
By PAUL TUCKER
theunionnewsabe@aol.com

REGION, June 4th- The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) Amalgamated Union Local 677 in Allentown won the right to bargain for 111 employees of First Student Inc. after winning a representation election conducted by the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB) in Harrisburg. Employees at First Student Inc. facilities in Cherryville and Northampton voted 76 for to 27 against to join Local 677 for the purpose of collective bargaining. The company provides bus services to the Northampton Area School District.

According to Edward Balukus, President of Local 677, the union will soon begin bargaining for mechanics and drivers of the company. Local 677 has 1,680 active members which includes representing four units of workers employed at Mack Trucks Inc. and employees of AmeriCold Logistics and workers of Lower Saucon Township. There are 235 Local 677 members employed at those two units.

The First Student Inc. unit members must first hold elections for their bargaining committee before contract negotiations can begin. “We will see who wants to serve on the committee, and then we will go from there,” added Mr. Balukas.

Mr. Balukas has been President of Local 677 since July, 2007, replacing long-time serving president Carl Breininger who retired.

“The workers reached-out to us. The company ran a fair campaign, nothing anti-union,” said Mr. Balukus. He told the newspaper other workers have shown an interest in wanting to be organized by the union.

There are currently 377 UAW members laid-off at Mack Trucks because of the economic slowdown. “We have really been hit hard because of the high fuel prices. It has hurt the industry, big-time.”

The United Auto Workers contract with Mack Trucks Inc., which is owned by Volvo of Sweden, expired on October 1st, 2007. Volvo purchased Mack in 2000. The two sides mutually agreed to several extensions of the pact, meaning they are working under the terms and conditions of the previous agreement, while they continue to negotiate for a new contract.

The union represents production workers at the truck manufacturing plant in Macungie Township, workers at the company headquarters office in Allentown and the employees of Mack Trucks engineering department.

Mr. Balukas told the newspaper although the contract expired in October 2007 his members are receiving a cost-of-living wage increase every three months under the terms and conditions of the previous contract. “The language provides a COLA increase every quarter,” said Mr. Balukas.

There are 377 Local 677 members currently laid-off which includes voluntary separation workers.
Mr. Balukas also stated four buses of Local 677 members participated in a labor rally on June 21st in Atlantic City, New Jersey to support workers that voted to be represented by the United Auto Workers but have not yet been able to gain a contract.

Around 850 casino dealers in Atlantic City voted to be unionized on March 2007. However, the union has been unsuccessful to reaching a agreement with the casino.