Posted on Tue, Jul. 26, 2005
LABOR SCENE
Unions are the winning team, latest findings show
By RANDOLPH HEASTER
Columnist
Employers are facing fewer union elections than before, but unions are ending up more on the winning side. Those are the findings of BNA Inc.’s research arm, which compiled union election results held by the National Labor Relations Board in 2004. The Washington, D.C.-based publishing and analysis firm found that unions won 59 percent of elections in 2004.
It was the eighth straight year that the win rate for unions has risen, according to BNA. It was also the highest winning percentage since the firm began tracking the data 20 years ago.
On the other hand, the number of elections continued to drop last year. There were 2,339 resolved union elections in 2004, down slightly from 2,351 in 2003. However, in the 1990s, it was common for more than 3,200 representation elections to be held annually.
In 2004, unions won 1,371 representation elections, which translates to about 84,000 newly organized workers. In 2003, unions won 1,366 elections comprising more than 77,000 employees.
Despite those gains, union membership overall continues to decline in the U.S. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 12.4 million union employees in 2004, down about 300,000 from 2003. Most of those losses occur from layoffs and the closing of plants and offices. Some of the drop also can be attributed to union decertification elections held by the board every year.
In the region covered by the board’s Overland Park regional office, 47 representation elections were held last year. According to figures provided by the regional office, unions won 24 elections, a 51 percent rate. In 2003, unions won 30 of the 61 elections that were held, or 49 percent.
The board’s regional office supervises union elections and labor-management disputes in western Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, three Iowa counties and most of Nebraska.
Manager elected
Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 124 have selected a new business manager.
Jim Beem was elected to the post last month, succeeding Tom Livingston.
Beem, a Local 134 member for nearly 40 years, has served previously on the local’s executive board. He also was a union organizer for eight years.
“I want to devote more resources to organizing,” he said.
Beem has reduced the number of assistant business agents to three, and he said he is trying to streamline the union staff.
Other Local 124 officers elected to three-year terms: Dennis P. Liston, financial secretary; Rudy Chavez, president; Allan Ward, vice president; Frank Mathews Jr., recording secretary; and Tim Knoth, treasurer.
BUSINESS
RHEASTER
To reach Randolph Heaster, call (816) 234-4746 , or send e-mail to rheaster@kcstar.com .
© 2005 Kansas City Star and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
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