April 24, 2024
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia workers at one of the nation's largest school bus manufacturers will begin voting Thursday on whether they want to be represented by a labor union.
More than 1,400 employees at Blue Bird Corp.'s two factories and warehouse in Fort Valley will be voting through Friday on whether they want to unionize under the banner of the United Steelworkers. That union represents more than 850,000 workers nationwide in a variety of industries.
Blue Bird workers have said they're seeking higher pay, a more regular schedule, and better vacation and sick time benefits from the publicly held Macon-based company, long the largest employer in nearby Peach County.
But Blue Bird has been meeting with employees to urge them to reject unionization, saying it's undesirable to interject a union as an intermediary between the company and workers.
“Blue Bird believes most employees do not desire a union at the Blue Bird facilities,” Julianne Barclay, a spokesperson for the company, wrote in an email.
It's the first serious run at forming a union at Blue Bird in decades. The United Auto Workers tried in 2001, but withdrew its petition before a vote could be held, saying it didn't have enough support. That effort included a pro-union rally that was disrupted by anti-union workers.
Maria Somma, organizing director for the United Steelworkers, says a majority of workers signed a petition seeking an election this time, although the company says the final vote tally is what will count.
“Only after the employees' secret ballot vote will anyone know if a majority of the Blue Bird team want a union,” Barclay said.
The share of workers who are unionized nationwide has been falling for decades, dipping to 10.1% last year according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. And private sector workers are much less likely to be union members, with only 6% paying dues.
Organized labor is an even smaller sliver of Georgia workers, with only 4.4% of workers being union members. That’s the eighth lowest union rate in the country, part of a belt of southern and western states where workers and employers have long resisted unionization.
One issue is pay. The company hires general laborers at $16 an hour, and says its average starting wage is $17.69 an hour. Workers say pay hasn't kept up with inflation, noting Blue Bird has gotten $40 million in federal aid to build electric school buses.
Workers also say the company forces them to work overtime, making it hard for them to plan their own schedules, but penalizes workers who have unplanned absences.
Barclay said absences can be excused when workers call in at least an hour in advance, and sometimes can be excused later.
“Employees who are not present for scheduled work create unnecessary hardship for their co-workers and create costly rescheduling to meet customer demands," she said.
The company and pro-union workers are also arguing about how much vacation and sick time workers receive, telling sharply different stories about the level of benefits.
