USA: Two Teamster union wins on the same day

Workers at the Stonyfield plant, partly owned by Danone, in Antioch California voted in favour of Teamsters representation on May 31 and will start bargaining for a first contract shortly.

After early concerns Danone was contacted by the IUF and used their influence guaranteeing greater management neutrality allowing workers to freely exercise their right to choose union membership.

Also on May 31, the Teamsters reached an agreement to end the bitter 10-month lockout of union workers at the New York operation of international auction house Sotheby’s. The 3-year agreement maintains benefits, increases wages, and preserves union jobs. Unions around the world picketed Sotheby’s in support of the locked out workers, including a spirited picket by the IUF, ICEM and UNI and the Geneva branch of the Swiss union UNIA, at a Sotheby’s auction in Geneva last November. The conflict also drew strong support from the New York City Occupy movement.