Disgraceful behavior….(From Labor Notes)

The NLRB also set July 6 for a union vote. But the Food and Commercial Workers union claimed jurisdiction and asked the Board to be added to the ballot, which pushed the date back to July 27. The workers and their supporters said UFCW Local 1473 didn’t have a base of support before it intervened. The local declined to comment.

Five weeks into the strike, workers are feeling the effects of the delay. Fundraisers and online donations through the union’s website have netted $50,000 for the strike fund, but they will need to continuously raise money for the duration of their strike.

That Labor Notes article is a great summary of the situation so far, really disappointing behavior from UCFW Local 1473. This isn’t about union turf wars, but about whether Palermo treats its workers friendly and helping workers stand up for themselves. Sometimes true solidarity means sitting and cheering the sidelines instead of directly intervening.

Or do something productive like this (from the same article):

Workers picket outside the factory twice a day, six days a week during shift changes. They’re seeing increasing support from union members and community allies who frequently swell the numbers on the picket line despite sweltering temperatures.

Service Employees, Steelworkers, Teachers (AFT), and AFSCME are among regular supporters. AFT Local 212 at Milwaukee Area Technical College held a fundraiser that netted $5,000.

Mike Rosen, Local 212’s president, connected the struggle to the long-running battle against Governor Scott Walker and his legislation that stripped public workers of their bargaining rights. “We understand that an injury to one is an injury to all,” Rosen said. “Their fight for union recognition is just a continuation of the fight we’ve been fighting.”

National labor is also on board. The AFL-CIO and the Steelworkers are providing much-needed organizing help.

If you want to know what unions are doing good work, well there’s a good list…