(NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK) – After management at Niagara Reworld - a Niagara Falls waste treatment company, reneged on their bonuses, Workers employed there decided it was time to Unionize. And they have - overcoming management’s individual Captive Audience Meetings that employed a Union-Busting mentality - and a snafu by a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Representative that caused a second election that International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 237 said was won by a much higher margin than the first.

“They’re ‘happy,’” Local 237 Business Agent/Organizer Nick Coyle said of the Union’s newest Members.  “One of the Workers met one of our Members at a function and was telling him how things were in ‘pretty poor shape’ (where he worked).  We were told the company ‘took away their bonuses and that (the Workers) didn’t want to lose more stuff.’  They called us (Local 237 back in November), ‘said they were interested’ (in Unionizing) and we explained the process.  We had about (60%) sign (Union Authorization) Cards (for a first election).”

Reworld Niagara operates a resource recovery/thermomechanical treatment facility on Energy Boulevard in Niagara Falls that serves Western New York with reliable and sustainable waste management - processing more than 810,000 tons of waste that would have otherwise ended up in landfills, according to information posted on its website.

The company’s lawyer, whom the Union described as a “Union Buster,” filed an objection during the initial Union Election Vote that was held in December after an NLRB Representative left the ballot box unattended in a closed room for several moments in order to go to the restroom.

A second election was held in late January and the final tally was 40-to-26, which Local 237 Representatives said was a larger margin of victory than was the first vote.

“‘We won it even stronger,’” said Business Manager John Scherrer, who noted a first round of contract negotiations were conducted earlier this week.  Another is scheduled for April.

The Workers - who were subjected to individual Captive Audience Meetings renamed by management as Mandated Benefits Meetings, are now looking for stronger protections to their 401k retirement plan structure and safeguards to their bonuses, some as much at $10,000 that they say were not made good on by management in the past, Officials from the Building Trades Union said.

The win has also led to Local 237 - which represents around 300 Members, looking to organize several other Reworld Niagara locations in Niagara County, which - combined, employ another 30 Workers.

“This was a ‘big thing’ for us,” Sheerer said of the winning organizing push at Reworld Niagara. “While we ‘hit a little bit of a speed bump’ (with the NLRB snafu), ‘we are very proud of the work Nick did.’  He’s a ‘good people person.’”

“It’s the ‘biggest’ (organizing drive) I’ve done,” Coyle told WNYLaborToday.com. “This was ‘big, big stuff’ and ‘one of the biggest things’ for our Local.  ‘A lot of legwork was done’ with the NLRB ‘and I had a lot of help from our’ IBEW International Reps - ‘and the Members at Reworld did a hell of a job,’ including ‘squishing’ rumors (created by Reworld Niagara management during the organizing drive).’"