Aramark Workers Authorize Strike

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1408050/aramark_workers_authorize_strike/

Posted on: Thursday, 29 May 2008, 12:00 CDT

By George Hesselberg, The Wisconsin State Journal

May 29--Unionized laundry workers in Madison voted unanimously Wednesday to authorize a strike against Aramark Corp. and also filed three unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board.

The vote gives the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE) Local 229 the power to call a strike over unfair labor practices, which were filed Wednesday, according to union leader Matt Schumwinger.

There are 95 laundry workers at Aramark 's North Stoughton Road plant, and more than 70 showed up for the strike vote Wednesday afternoon, he said.

The union filed unfair labor practice charges accusing Aramark of making coercive threats claiming employee union activity would lead to job loss, threatening discipline "through stricter enforcement of workplace rules to employee members of the union negotiating committee " and calling police to harass union representatives "in an effort to intimidate and coerce employees from engaging in union activity. " Local Aramark workers wash uniforms, floor mats and restaurant supplies for numerous area businesses and institutions, including UW-Madison.

Aramark provides food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health-care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. According to a company "snapshot, " Aramark, headquartered in Philadelphia, has approximately 250,000 employees serving customers in 19 countries.

Schumwinger said the current three-year labor contract with Aramark expires Friday.

FULL story at link.