Victory at Harper Woods store would be first in the country for national chain
By Tenisha Mercer / The Detroit News
HARPER WOODS — Nearly 175 Home Depot employees will vote Friday and Saturday on whether they want a union at the Eight Mile and Kelly store in Harper Woods.
If successful, the push would mark the first labor union organization at any Home Depot store in the country. Unions have tried to recruit Home Depot workers in the past, but failed to collect enough worker signatures to force a vote.
The demands: Home Depot employees backing union representation say they want the company to provide:
* Uniform rules about work schedules, salaries and firings.
* Lower health care premiums.
Now, after months of lobbying, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 876 in Madison Heights is optimistic that secret ballot elections at the store near Eastland Center will garner an affirmative vote. A majority of yes votes from hourly, nonmanagement employees is required to form a union.
Decrying what they describe as expensive health-care costs and poor working conditions, “the employees don’t feel wage increases are keeping up with the growth of the company,” said UFCW organizing director Mark Charrette.
Employees want uniform rules about work schedules, wages and firing, for example, and lower health-care premiums. Home Depot employee Jay Wright says his health care premiums have risen to $300 a month while his wages have largely remained stagnant.
“Enough is enough,” said Wright, 47, who has worked stocking supplies and in customer service in the plumbing department for two years. “I’m not a disgruntled employee, but I know work conditions could be better. We have people who do the exact same jobs and none are paid equally.”
In a statement, Home Depot said, “We recognize the right of our associates to examine third party representation, but are confident that in the end they will choose the positive, open and rewarding business environment they currently enjoy.”
Wright said Home Depot has held barbecues and shown anti-union movies to employees.
“People are afraid, and (the company) is doing everything the can to stop this,” said Wright, who said he has been warned to stop his union activities and was asked to remove a “Union Yes!” button he wore in the store.
In addition to the Harper Woods store, the UFCW is organizing workers at the Home Depot store in Flint, Charrette said. It also is trying to recruit workers at Target stores in Utica, Sterling Heights, Woodhaven, Taylor and Monroe.
Posted by UFCW 227 at July 27, 2004 09:31 PM