PacArctic maintenance workers, contracted at the U.S. Department of State’s Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), won their first UE contract on July 2. The members had a swift union campaign after seeing the benefits Local 728 members at KCC, who process non-immigrant visas, won in their most recent contract. After organizing, the maintenance workers successfully negotiated a first contract with a six percent raise in the first year, six percent raise in the second year, and five percent raise in the last year of the contract.
Local 728 bargaining committee member Jeffrey Bird said, “It means a lot to have gotten this contract! We’ve needed raises for some time to try to keep up with the inflation rate, some of us were barely making it. The union is the only thing that made this possible.”
The organizing efforts began when the maintenance workers at KCC approached some members of Local 728 after they bargained a strong second contract with many visible wins. The company had just taken away accumulated paid time off that workers had saved for years. Bargaining committee member Ronnie “Buffalo” Hollingsworth Sr. said only days after he had saved up eight weeks of vacation time, the company stole two weeks from him. He and the other maintenance workers wanted protections from actions like this. They wanted to be part of a union, win their own raises, and make their workplace better.
“We just wanted to get our foot in the door and get some respect from the company,” said Hollingsworth. “PacArctic is in just about every federal building in the U.S. and we keep those buildings running. We are starting to get some respect from them but we had to really struggle for everything that we got.”
The workers started signing union cards in December 2023 and hit majority within a few days. The company, after having seen the successful fights of the existing members of Local 728, recognized the union without the need for an election. The newest members of the local began the bargaining process right away.
The maintenance workers, the majority of which are custodians, janitors, and other skilled trades at the KCC facility, work for different contractors every few years. The workers are at risk of being paid lower wages once a contract is finished and another company takes over. This precariousness is one of the main reasons the members organized. Bargaining went well for the local and a contract was ratified within a few months.
“Gaining the respect of the company, not having them run over the top of us, and having a voice has uplifted the maintenance crew tremendously,” said Hollingsworth. “We do better work now that we have that respect.”
The members won benefits they never had before including seniority rights and overtime rights. The local also won the right to an hour of orientation time for new hires to educate and sign them into the union. The contract includes extra unpaid breaks for new nursing mothers and expanded bereavement leave, increasing the possible family members you can take time off for. The existing members were also given the one-time choice between extra vacation time or their quarterly bonus to replace time the company stole before the union efforts.
“I learned a lot during bargaining and we will be taking this experience with us to the next negotiations,” added Hollingsworth. “This is only the beginning.”
The Local 728 PacArctic bargaining committee consisted of Jeffrey Bird and Ronnie “Buffalo” Hollingsworth Sr. They were assisted by Local 728 President Kevin White and Field Organizer Heather Hillenbrand.