That Union Thing

Who Gets Pieces of the Productivity Gains Pie?

Costco Shows Wal-Mart How It’s Done

Costco, the fifth-largest retailer in the U.S., proves that you can have low prices and treat employees fairly as well. Costco’s philosophy is that by providing a salary people can live on, as well as a positive environment and good benefits, they will be able to hire better people who will stay longer and be more efficient. In contrast to Wal-Mart’s huge part-time workforce, Costco’s contract with the Teamsters Union guarantees employees at least 25 hours of work per week, and requires at least half of a store’s workers be full-time. And Costco uses its union contracts as a blueprint for its nonunion employees, as well.

Costco Facts:

Independent Labels Join Forces

A group of 125 independent record labels have formed the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM). More than 30 percent of Internet radio play is drawn from independent artists and labels, and A2IM hopes that by banding together they will achieve parity with the four major record labels.

State Universities Must Keep Their Unions

The Florida Court of Appeals has ruled that the state government cannot terminate its obligations under a collective bargaining agreement simply by reorganizing the executive branch. Governance of state universities was reorganized in 2003, and the universities attempted to revoke recognition of existing faculty unions at that time.

From AFL-CIO Work In Progress

TELEMUNDO RESORTS TO UNION-BUSTING—After more than six months of bargaining, Telemundo—a subsidiary of NBC/Universal—last week abandoned negotiations with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists over a contract for their Spanish-language performers. The union charges Telemundo has begun holding captive-audience meetings with performers working on their productions in Miami and handing out leaflets that threaten to move the work out of the country. “It is stunning to me that the same company that assured the Congressional Hispanic Caucus that they would not interfere with any individual’s right to support a union is now resorting to such common union-busting tactics to ensure that these performers don’t exercise that right,” said Rebecca Rhine, AFTRA’s assistant national executive director.

MORE THAN 400 JOIN TEAMSTERS—Fifty-one mechanics, counter rental representatives and service agents at Budget Rent-a-Car in West Palm Beach, Fla., voted in late April to join IBT Local 769.

CURTAIN’S UP FOR UNION—In Austin, Texas, 34 workers at the Austin Lyric Opera voted unanimously April 27 to join Theatrical Stage Employees Local 484. In Hollywood, Calif., 40 crew members on Campus Ladies Production, which is filming a 30-minute comedy series for Oxygen Network, also won IATSE representation.

UNION IS ELECTRIC—39 blue-collar municipal workers in Live Oak, Fla., voted overwhelmingly June 2 for IBEW Local 1205.

CASTING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION—More than 250 casting directors, employed by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, voted recently for representation by the Teamsters. The alliance initially held the workers were independent contractors who could not organize but sought to offer them health care coverage, which was a key organizing issue. With IBT’s backing, the workers rejected the bid and the producers agreed to an election. The casters will be members of IBT Local 399 in Los Angeles and Local 817 in New York.

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