(AKRON, NEW YORK) – In what just may well be one of the first Union Decertification Elections in Western New York Labor History, Workers employed at Akron’s Whiting Door Manufacturing Corporation - including a faction that believes they are better equipped to negotiate an agreement with improved wages, benefits and safety rules than the United Steelworkers (USW) - will cast their votes on Tuesday (October 6th).

And while it may be a first for WNY, it certainly is an old story when it comes to Workers thinking they can go it alone against management without someone standing up for them, which could swing the door wide open for their bosses to make promises, but fail to keep them - all the while ensuring their Employees that they have their best interest in mind.

Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor President Denise Abbott, who took part in a supportive rally held outside the plant with the USW and a number of other area Labor Unions (including the Communications Workers of America, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades and Workers United, as well as some Elected Officials), on Friday (October 2nd) told WNYLaborToday.com: “It’s ‘shocking to me they feel this is the right way to go.’ I would ask them: ‘What is the reason why there is a Union in your workplace?’ ‘Obviously there was a reason.’ ‘Is the owner so great that you don’t need a contract?’ ‘They need to talk to other Union Members and learn the reason why it is important to be in a Union - the wages, benefits and protections you don’t get if you aren’t in one.’ ‘Life is better in a Union.’”

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: Pictured above, WNYALF President Abbott flanked by USW District 4 Staff Representative Mark McDonald (on the left) and USW District 4 Sub-District Director Joe Vertalino (on the right) during Friday’s supportive rally held outside Whiting Door. (WNYLaborToday.com Photos)

USW Local 748 represents 260 Members who work for the original manufacturer of roll-up doors for the Transportation Industry that began operations back in 1953.

Over the years, Whiting Door - which focuses on designing and manufacturing doors that are easy to install, operate and maintain, has grown to become the leading supplier of roll-up doors in the Industry, according to information posted on its website.

Local 748 President Fred Drahms tells WNYLaborToday.com the decertification effort is being led by a number of younger Members “who feel they would be better off dealing with the company on their own.”

The Local, with the help of the USW International and District 4 Office, has been contacting Members individually prior to this week’s vote in order to continue to underscore the worth of being Unionized.

As a result, Drahms says, a great number “want to keep” the Steelworkers at their Bargaining Representative.

A five-year negotiated contract is currently in its fourth year and the Members’ hourly rate ranges from $22 to $26. The company matches contributions in a 401(k) Plan, Drahms added.

However, some Members weren’t happy about the fact that they had to pay a bit more into their health coverage after the company held firm and wouldn’t budge on a negotiated cap.

“They were ‘upset’ over that,” Drahms said.

The Whiting Door Decertification Election is surprising in light of new Gallup polling released earlier this year that found 71% of people in the U.S. approve of Unions, continuing the highest period of favorability in over 60 years.

This coincides with the greatest number of Workers represented by a Union in 16 years.

The Gallup polling showed Unions are favorable across generations and party lines with 77% of adults ages 18-to-34, 74% of adults ages 35-to-54 and 67% of adults ages 55 and older approving of Unions - and 89% of Democrats, 70% of Independents and 52% of Republicans also approving of Unions. 

This is just one of many recent surveys demonstrating the broad popularity of Unions: Unions are more popular than Big Business. People in the U.S. favor Unions over Big Business by more than 16 percentage points - the greatest gap ever recorded; 56 million U.S. Workers would join a Union tomorrow if they could. 43% of Non-Union Workers would vote to Unionize their workplace if given the opportunity; and Majority views Union decline as bad for the U.S. Most people in the U.S. say the decline in Union Density is bad for the country (60%) and bad for Working People (62%). 

It should be no surprise that the public views Unions favorably: Unions help Workers win higher wages, advocate for safer and healthier workplaces, support a thriving Middle Class, and strengthen Democracy by boosting civic participation. 

(WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: To Continue Reading this Labor News Report, Go To: Unions are extremely popular: 56 million workers would join a union if they could | Economic Policy Institute)

Meanwhile back in Akron, WNYLaborToday.com interviewed three USW Members at Whiting Door who agreed to do so anonymously, fearing company retribution if they were identified.

Said one Worker: “There’s ‘been a lot’ of turnover - about (20) people last year. ‘There’s a lot of new people who have been hired who just don’t know any better.’ ‘They’re listening to the wrong people.’ ‘I’m sick about all of this because they think they can get more money themselves - like they can just walk upstairs and do it themselves.’ ‘They really believe they can go it alone and negotiate a raise because of the Union Dues they would no longer have to pay.’”

Another Worker told WNYLaborToday.com: “It’s ‘become a hostile’ work environment (because of all that has transpired). ‘I’m worried about our safety on the job without’ a Union. ‘I don’t want to give up’ our Union Safety Rules. ‘And, they won’t need an excuse to fire you for any reason if you don’t have a Union’ (standing with you).”

A third told WNYLaborToday.com: “I’m ‘upset because they don’t realize the company is not for their people when it comes to wages, benefits and security.’ ‘We are not likely to get more money.’ ‘I just don’t see that happening.’ ‘Without a Union here, there will definitely be problems.’”

USW District 4 Sub-District Director Joe Vertalino added: “The company ‘will not make good on their promises’ (without a Union in place). And there have been some injuries inside the plant, ‘so will they remove or relax any safety rules?’ ‘I would believe they would – one-hundred-percent.’”