Thursday, September 26, 2013

Another Teamster organizing victory in Georgia!

Please give a warm welcome to our 50 new brothers and sisters who work as warehouse workers for Americold in McDonough, Ga. They recently voted overwhelmingly to join Teamsters Local 528 in Atlanta.

Though there are about 50 workers in the bargaining unit, many temporary workers will become full time, so the bargaining unit is expected to grow to 80 to 90 workers.

Don Toney, president of Teamsters Local 528 in Atlanta, explained why they joined our union:
We represent Americold workers at four other locations, so the McDonough workers saw the great job we do for their co-workers in other areas.
The McDonough workers are also seeking fair pay. Johnny Edwards, a Teamsters Local 528 business agent, said Americald workers already represented receive much higher wages:
They are also seeking a seniority system, protection of rights, improved benefits and respect and dignity in the workplace.
Americold is the largest provider of temperature-controlled warehousing and distribution services in the United States. The company has more than 6,000 associates in 100 warehouse locations. Teamsters represent more than 1,000 Americold workers nationwide.