Con-way Freight’s Buffalo Workers Vote Against Teamsters Union Representation
Employees at Con-way Freight’s Buffalo, New York, facility voted to reject representation by the Teamsters union, the company said.
The election was conducted April 22 by the National Labor Relations Board, and the vote marks the sixth election in which Con-way employees have voted against representation by the Teamsters, which has been attempting to organize employees at various Con-way Freight facilities since last year.
Con-way Freight is the less-than-truckload and largest operating unit of Con-way Inc., which ranks No. 4 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.
The Buffalo vote follows Teamsters defeats at Con-way Freight facilities in Santa Fe Springs, San Fernando Valley and Bakersfield, California; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Harlingen, Texas.
The Teamsters withdrew petitions earlier this year at Con-way Freight’s facilities in Irvine, California, and Orlando, Florida. Petitions often are withdrawn when a union believes it can’t capture enough votes to win, the company said.
“We are gratified by the vote of our Buffalo employees and the statement of confidence it represents in our company and our union-free philosophy,” Con-way Freight President Greg Lehmkuhl said. “We continue to believe that our path to success lies in maintaining an open, respectful and direct relationship with our employees without the interference of a third party.”
“When our employees have the opportunity to get the facts, understand clearly the value of what they have today, and recognize the advantages and opportunities they have in being union-free, they make an informed choice and reject the union,” he said in a statement.
