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| For Fairness and Respect — Another group of Stanley workers celebrate, this time in California. Workers at Stanley subcontractor Studley Professional Services (SPS) voted three-to-one to join UE on February 22nd. |
A third group of workers employed by a Stanley Associates subcontractor have become the latest to vote for UE representation, this time by a three-to-one margin. Studley Professional Services (SPS) workers voted 23-8 for UE in the first of five elections to be held at the Laguna Niguel worksite in California.
The SPS workers overcame heavy-handed pressure by their employer, including one-on-one election-day sessions by the CEO of SPS. Earlier this week, UE sent a letter to SPS demanding the company stop violating the rights of its workers. Despite the company’s tactics, SPS workers made it clear they were uniting for better wages and better treatment. Their activism increased prior to the election as they offered support and encouragement to co-workers after one-on-one meetings, replaced signs the company took down, and confronted management in their own meetings about lies and exaggerations.
Waiting outside the giant federal building in Laguna Niguel, more than 50 union supporters, including SPS, Choctaw, Northrop Grumman, Stanley and Altron, erupted with cheers as the vote result was announced.
'A Voice ... to Make a Difference'
“I feel fantastic,” said Camille Puccinelli, an eight-year employee. “It feels like a rebirth,” she exclaimed. “You thought you were going to get cheap labor, and now you won’t. Period,” she told the CEO. "It’s remarkable,” she added, "people have come together as a whole and said ‘enough is enough!’”
Earlier this month, Stanley subcontracted workers in Vermont employed by Northrup Grumman Technical Services overcame bad weather to become the second group to join UE, voting 57-40, just a day after Choctaw Archiving workers chose UE by 51 to 31.
This Wednesday about 450 Stanley workers in both states will cast their ballots in the next set of elections. In all, about 1,000 workers are employed by Stanley and its subcontractors at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Centers in St. Albans, Vermont, and Laguna Niguel.
“I had to come back from my leave early, to make sure my vote went in,” exclaimed another exuberant eight-year SPS employee, Blanca Esposito, who had been on leave when the organizing drive started. Commenting on the vote, she said “We’re not going to allow anybody to stomp on us or treat us badly just because they think they have the power to. It’s about fairness and respect.”
A $2 an hour wage cut and elimination of sick time imposed by Stanley when it took over operations in early December sparked the organizing drive, bringing workers together to defend their wages and benefits.
Looking forward to Wednesday’s vote, California Northrop Grumman employee Zoraya Sanchez said she was inspired by today’s vote. “SPS workers now have a voice ... more opportunity to make a difference." Referring to Wednesday's scheduled elections, she said" “We will vote YES!”