UPS Freight courtship is long one for unions

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/585603.html

Posted on Mon, Apr. 21, 2008 10:15 PM

By RANDOLPH HEASTER
The Kansas City Star

As the Teamsters union proceeds with organizing UPS Freight Inc. workers under a new contract, the company’s 300 area hourly employees await an agency’s ruling on a rival union’s attempt to do the same.

The Association of Parcel Workers of America lost a second election in February trying to persuade workers to join its group at the UPS Freight terminal in Kansas City, Kan.

However, the group objected to the company’s actions prior to the election. The National Labor Relations Board’s Overland Park office found merit to the objection in that the election notice was posted later than it should have been, said Dan Hubbel, the agency’s regional director.

The local NLRB office recommended to the agency’s principal board in Washington that the election results be overturned again and another one be conducted. Since then, UPS Freight has filed its own objection to the local NLRB’s ruling.

The company argues that the small delay in posting the notice did not affect the second election’s results. The parcel workers group lost the February contest 109-87 after losing by a much wider margin last August.

Van Skillman, president of the parcel workers group, said there should be another election.

“The company knows they’re wrong about the notice,” he said. “If it’s posted late, it’s posted late. They’re hammering away at the workers there now, discouraging them from voting for us next time.”

FULL story at link.