AlliedBarton Reverses Promise To “Work with the union.”

 
After a two year campaign to improve wages, benefits and safety and training standards for the guards at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the security guards beat the longest odds; they formed their own union.
 
Of course the members of the newly created Philadelphia Security Officers Union did not think that winning their election on October 10th would automatically solve all of their problems.
 
“We thought that if we showed our employer AlliedBarton that we were dedicated enough to win a difficult election against their wishes that they would deal with us fair and square.” Says Jennifer Collazo, a union supporter.
 
“They said they were looking forward to working with us in the media, but now they are going back on their word.” Further states Collazo,
 
 The Philadelphia Security Officers Union recently received a notice from the National Labor Relations Board stating that AlliedBarton has filed objections to the election.  The filing of objections is a common tactic used by employers to delay progress and negotiations.
 
 "I was there. I counted the vote with them.  I know for a fact that we won."  Bernardo Dickerson, a union activist and security guard who was in the counting room in the museum, along with representatives from AlliedBarton, when the National Labor Relations Board certified that the union won the election.
 
AlliedBarton did not raise any issues during the two day election.
 
In another bad sign, AlliedBarton has resumed calling meetings with security guards, not the union, to talk about work place issues.  Security guards say that before the union effort began it was rare for AlliedBarton to call meetings with the workforce.  Now, after the election, Alliedbarton is having meetings with the workforce directly instead of addressing issues with the union.  These meeting might even be a violation of Federal Labor Law.
 
Labor law stipulates that “directly-dealing” with employees about working conditions instead of negotiating changes with the union is illegal.
 
“It’s just another way to undermine the union and slow down progress.” Says Fabricio Rodriguez, the Executive Director of Jobs with Justice, a community groups that is helping the union.
 
“Despite the current batch of obstacles, the PSOU is committed to reforming working conditions at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.” Further states Rodriguez