NYC Workers at Six H&M Clothing Stores Join a Union

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.scandasia.com/viewNews.php?coun_code=sg&news_id=9233

30 July 2011 | news Newsdesk

Workers at six New York City-area H&M stores, owned by a Sweden-based clothing retailer, won a two-month union-organizing campaign after their employer didn’t demand a secret-ballot election.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Union will represent 240 sales clerks at H&M stores in Queens, Brooklyn, West Nyack, White Plains, Yonkers and Staten Island, all in New York. They join about 1,200 New York H&M workers, most based in Manhattan, already in the UFCW.

H&M, owned by Stockholm-based Hennes & Mauritz AB (HMB), the world’s second-largest clothing retailer, accepted the union’s bid for representation after workers turned in signup cards. Companies typically require an election to ratify the petitions, said UFCW spokesman Evan Yeats. A vote gives employers a chance to influence the outcome.

“H&M prides itself as an employer who values its associates and presents a positive work environment,” Jennifer Ward, a company spokeswoman, said in an e-mail. “H&M has a tradition of working with unions around the world, and we are confident that we will continue to build our new relationship with the UFCW.”

FULL story at link.

[Booster]

1. One down and many, many to go. GO UNIONS.

[patrice]

2. The Unions are the people. The people are America.