ILA LOSES TEST VOTE AT EVERGREEN U.S. HEADQUARTERS
The International Longshoremen’s Association on Wednesday failed to attract sufficient votes from employees of Morristown, N.J.-based Evergreen America Corp., as it attempted to unionize the shipping company.
The ILA, which represents labor at U.S. East Coast docks, wanted to organize 115 clerical workers at the U.S. headquarters office of Evergreen America, the U.S. arm of Taiwanese shipping group Evergreen.
The National Labor Relations Board vote came after two months of organizing efforts by the union, and was closely watched by other shipping companies. Evergreen America was the first attempt by the ILA to organize clerical staff of shipping companies. The union is reportedly seeking to also unionize clerical workers at the agencies and offices of other companies whose vessels call at ports on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
A spokesman for Evergreen America said its management had opposed the attempt of the ILA to organize its employees.
“While we are pleased with the election and the confidence shown by our staff, we regret that it had to come to this,” said Thomas Chen, president of Evergreen America. The primary issues, said Chen, were staff concerns about relocation, job security, and retaliation against union supporters.
“With so many shipping companies moving operations away from big cities and even to offshore locations, our employees were concerned about their futures,” he said.
However, Evergreen America said it will keep its headquarters in northern New Jersey.
Evergreen America said Evergreen office employees in New Jersey earn an average salary that is 30 to 40 percent higher than the average in New Jersey for similar positions.
Evergreen also noted that in 1989 the ILA Local 1964’s president and his son were found murdered in the union’s headquarters in Ridgefield Park, N.J., an incident that “has never been explained.