Philadelphia Home Depot workers vote to reject unionization

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Home Depot workers in Philadelphia rejected the first store-wide labor union at the world’s largest home improvement retailer Saturday night, a loss for a fledgling movement to organize at major U.S. companies.

Workers voted 165 to 51 against forming a union representing 274 employees at the store, WHYY-FM reported.

The National Labor Relations Board oversaw the voting. A board spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request from The Associated Press for information about the vote.

The defeat for the organizers, who sought to join Home Depot Workers United, could discourage activist workers who have successfully formed the first unions at big chains, including Amazon, Starbucks, Trader Joe’s and Apple, but have since suffered setbacks in getting collective bargaining off the ground or organizing more unions.



FILE - Shopping carts are parked outside a Home Depot in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/business-philadelphia-labor-unions-a49abe4e8e8b95aa761f04961e9b5424?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=TopNews&utm_campaign=position_09

[CrispyQ]

1. If you were born in 1980 or after, all you've ever heard is that unions are bad.

I'm not sure they even teach high school students about the labor movement anymore. ???

[BumRushDaShow]

7. There are a good chunk of older workers in there

who know better though (that might have been reflected in the vote too).

This particular store in NE Philly is (relatively) "new". It is on the site where the old Sears used be, which was literally considered "the gateway to the Great Northeast" as it was dubbed.

(I still have my VHS recording of the above down in the basement )

[Rebl2]

13. I heard it

before that. I remember hearing the same in the seventies when I was in my teens and early twenties.

[MOMFUDSKI]

14. You are so right.

When I moved from Wisconsin (seat of labor) to Florida (right to work state) I would explain to the young folks I was working with about unions/bennies/etc. They would look at me like I had 3 heads and were content with their crappy, low wages and the attitude was "This is just how it is". Hard to reach them. My son, who I don't consider stupid, attended a mandatory company-wide meeting regarding how bad unions were in Wisconsin about 15 years ago. He came away with - if the guy next to you falls asleep due to drinking last nite and you have to work that much harder to make up for him the union will cover for him and you are screwed. If I wasn't 1300 miles away I would have gone to his house and spanked him. I see labor currently in the strongest position in years but labor has to put the gas pedal thru the floor NOW.

[oldsoftie]

16. But thats exactly why Unions get a bad rap. Look at how police unions cover for bad cops

They CONSTANTLY cover for bad cops. They're the WORST. Look at pro players unions; CONSTANTLY fighting rules to fight performance enhancing drugs or fighting against suspensions for sexual misconduct. At the local level, city unions covering for actual criminal employees. We have a govt union at a nearby military base. It is so hard to fire bad employees out there that they just move them to a different area. Over & over. I know it because I'm related to one of the stewards. And everyone knows the stories about the NYC teachers unions & the way they fight to stop the firing of teachers who have acted inappropriately with KIDS.
If the unions would take a stand & quit standing in the way of getting rid of LEGITIMATELY bad workers things would most certainly change. fight for the rights of workers, fight for safety, fight for wages but quit enabling the worst.
And now I await the oncoming froth of punishment for daring to say it.

[SouthernDem4ever]

2. Home Depot is owned by anti-labor magat types

they support every republican weirdo they can. Never shop there- ever.

[cyclonefence]

5. I'm with you

If Lowe's doesn't have it, we do without.

It's disheartening that so many progressives are unaware of HD's financial support of ultra-RW candidates, including TFG himself.

[NYC Liberal]

8. Lowe's also gives a ton of money to Republicans, unfortunately.

In 2020:

$265,000 (37.46%) To Democrats
$442,500 (62.54%) To Republicans

https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/lowe-s-companies/C00251751/candidate-recipients/2020


Definitely better this year though:

$118,000 (52.10%) To Democrats
$108,500 (47.90%) To Republicans

https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/lowe-s-companies/C00251751/candidate-recipients/2022

With corporations, you’re pretty much always going with the lesser of the evils.

[NBachers]

9. As a guy working in an independent, locally owned lumber yard / hardware store, I promote local.

We have developed a strong customer base that enjoys supporting us.

[SouthernDem4ever]

35. I will start to use the independent appliance dealers in my area

then again, maybe not after seeing the way the smaller ones are GOP Supporters. I guess I'll stick to Lowes.

[MichMan]

37. Is it unionized?

[NBachers]

38. Not unionized, it's owned by the same family that started it as a used appliance store after WWII

Living wages and good benefits, including health benefits that have saved my life more than once. I’ve seen evidence that they are strong voting and contributing Democrats.

I am happy with things the way they are now.

[oldsoftie]

17. Both Lowes & HD are public companies now. And both give to both parties.

bernie Marcus has been retired from HD for 20 yrs & is no longer a major shareholder. Arthur Blank, while not as politically active as Marcus, has also been retired from HD for over 20 yrs

[NullTuples]

21. HD: 47% Dem, 53% GOP - Lowes: 54% Dem, 46% GOP ...both straddle the fence

Like Target, neither wants to alienate any potential customers, even to the point of being supportive of Nazis. I'd say that tells you something about the American public & their buying habits, but smaller other brands tend to be even worse. Source for all is OpenSecrets, 2020 election cycle.

True Value: 16% Dem, 84% GOP
Menards: 22% Dem, 78% GOP
Ace Hardware: 31% Dem, 67% GOP
Tractor Supply: 38% Dem, 62% GOP

[oldsoftie]

24. If I ran a major corp I'd say "we don't get involved in politics".

Although none of the POLITICIANS would care for that stance

[NullTuples]

28. That's the image they want to portray, one of neutrality & therefore "not involved". But...

if you take the case of LGBTQ people, POC or abortion, corporations know that the Republican strategy is a slow ratcheting, a gradual removal of equality until they have the pieces in place to remove it completely. So any funding of them furthers that goal.

Corporations sometimes really do play a long game beyond this quarter's numbers.

[discocrisco01]

3. Repealing Taft-Hartley is the only way out

A clean repeal is what is necessary.

[Hotler]

4. If the fascist take power they'll do away with minimum wage. Let's see how they feel about working

for $2.50 hr, if that.

[Mr. Evil]

10. $2.50 hr...

seems too generous for them. They're more likely to make workers an offer they can't refuse. Either do the job, which may take 10-12 hours, for $20 total or you get the Luca Brasi treatment.

[MichMan]

32. Nobody is paying minimum wage now around here; everyone is paying higher to keep workers

I don't see how lowering the minimum wage would do anything

[LenaBaby61]

34. Hey, if they'd love to and want to work for peanuts literally, I want that for them .....

[The Unmitigated Gall]

6. Turkeys voted for Thanksgiving.

[Mysterian]

11. Stupid idiots

nuff said

[orleans]

12. my initial thought: idiots nt

[cactusfractal]

15. Well, I'm just to the point now...

where I'm like, "Fuck 'em. We tried to help. Over and over. For decades. They deserve what they get." But that's where I am now.

It took a lot of uniquely American dysfunctionality for me, a progressive Marine vet who has ALWAYS found a way to adapt, improvise, and overcome for the greater good, to just turn my back. But I'm gonna die working anyway, with no possible hope of union representation ever.

So fuck 'em.

[LudwigPastorius]

18. That's like chickens voting for Colonel Sanders.

[ancianita]

19. Home Depot is owned by a right wing big donor to Republicans. So is Lowe's. So is Walmart.

They'll continue to depress wages and unionization until we get the money out of politics.

[NullTuples]

23. Walmart: 45% to Dems, 54% to GOP

Source: OpenSecrets, 2020 cycle

However, the family that owns Walmart has a long standing reputation for being solid Republican supporters. Or do they?

Walton Family Foundation: 49.5% Dem, 49.5% GOP

Write up is here: https://histphil.org/2019/06/03/walmart-heirs-shift-from-red-to-purple-the-evolving-political-contributions-of-the-nations-richest-family/

[ancianita]

25. Yes, they do -- % can change, but the Walton family politics don't. Which is why they consistently

get listed as faithful Republican donors. They are the retail sector donors, along with Home Depot, and we need to get clear on where we as Democrats need/want to do business.




Here are 70 more Republican oligarch class donors.
The dashed names are sourced from ProPublica. https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-spawned-a-new-group-of-mega-donors-who-now-hold-sway-over-gops-future

The rest I've searched for across various sources and sites.

— Don Ahern

Hushang Ansary

Archbishop Demetrios of America

Roy Bailey

Geoffrey Palmer



Brian Ballard

Tom Barrack

Gentry Beach

— Lynda Blanchard Montgomery AL — ambassador turned Senate candidate, but Trump endorsed Mo Brooks,

— Michael Borland — Christian music; online Q and conspiracy theorists;



— James A. Bowen

— The Bradley Foundation — Robt George of Princeton, Paul Clement, and wealthy families that fund a clutch of lawyers and advocates to push the myth of fraudulent elections at a cost of $18 million dollars, to discredit democratic systems; Bradley Foundation puts money into Turning Point USA, which advocates on social media and are trying to overturn the last election, and laying the foundation of constantly challenging all future elections

— Duke Buchan — Wall St investor, ambassador to Spain, helped try to oust VZ pres Maduro,

— Walter W. Buckley Jr PA — Buckley Muething Capital Mgmt

— Richard T. Burke



— David and
— Leila Centner, Miami FL — guests at the Ellipse, friends of RFK, Jr., Miami school that called covid a hoax, maskless freedom; started the conspiracy that merely being around other vaccinated people can cause reproductive problems in women

— Brian Colleran

Joe Craft

— Kelcy Warren Dallas TX — Dakota Access Pipeline, Energy Transfer Partners



— Patricia Duggan St Petersburg FL — Scientology

Louis DeJoy

— David Duffield — CA billionaire, age 79

— Bob Duggan Santa Barbara CA — Scientology, Pharmacyclics, cancer drug sold to AbbVie

Lew Eisenberg



Robert Grand

Ken Griffin donor for DeSantis

Harold Hamm

Diane Hendricks

Tommy Hicks



— Vernon Hill — Trump golf buddy & sometime banker;

Carl Icahn

— Julie Jenkins, Greg Fancelli Lakeland FL, Italy — owners of Publix; Big Lie believers; head of the Trump foundation; see Kevin Jenkins as disinfo dude below

Woody Johnson

Peter Kalikow



— Bennie Kante

Alexander Karloutos

Robert Kraft

Richard Lefrak

— Anthony Lomangino Palm Beach FL — Southern Waste Systems, sold to Waste Mgmt 2015



Howard Lorber

— Palmer Luckey Newport Beach, CA — VR founder, sister Ginger engaged to Matt Gaetz; pushed out of FB, donated to Nimble America, a pro-Trump group associated with misogynistic and white supremacist posts; donates to Ted Cruz, offered security to Trump on Southern border,

— John McCall FL — business partner of Trump’s friend and hairspray supplier

— Vince McMahon — professional wrestling magnate,

Ed McMullen,

— Timothy Mellon WY— Mellon banking, Pan Am Systems rail



— Roger Norman, Reno, NV — Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center, 104,000 acre industrial hub for Google, Tesla, Switch, & Trump’s “Opportunity Zone”

— John H. Owoc

— Thomas Peed Lincoln NB — Sandhills Global, trade publisher for constructin, ag, trudking
— Ike Perlmutter FL— Marvel Entertainment, VA shadow ruler; VoteVets sued the VA over Perlmutter’s role, a suit that just got ruled in IP’s favor; benefactor to Rubio and DeSantis

Phil Ruffin.





Steve Roth

Anthony Scaramucci

— Steve Schwarzman — Blackstone Group

— Robert ‘Hank’ Seale

— Marlyne Sexton —



Ray Washburne

Ron Weiser

— Steven Witkoff NY, NY — DeSantis backer; REowns 30 properties in US & London, Vegas, the Witkoff Group; king of condo financing

Steve Wynn, NV — casino magnate, Bellagio, Wynn Resorts; ordered to register as foreign agent of China 2021; gaming association hall of fame; honorary doctoral degrees from the U Nevada, Las Vegas; Culinary Institute, Forbes named him a "Captain of Capitalism" in 2007.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Wynn

[Polybius]

20. Can someone tell me the reasoning behind this?

Why would they vote no?

[toesonthenose]

26. Thank you, was just getting ready to ask that question.

I am in the South, so never really had dealings with the union stuff. What kind of arguments do the corporations use to sway people not to unionize? I would think voting for the union would be better for wages, insurance and other benefits. So what possibly could the company say to counter that? Do they say they will pay you more or something like that?

[malthaussen]

29. They accentuate the negative.

Unions have dues, you're paying to work. Unions make it so the hard workers go unrecognized and the lazy workers get away with murder. And who, in this crazy world, is not convinced that they work hard every day and that the next guy is a lazy SOB? Then they faithfully promise to match what union employees get in other shops... which they do, until they aren't scared you'll unionize anymore, and then screw you.

The historical whiff of organized crime associated with unions doesn't help. There's a narrative out there that unions just take your dues and do nothing for you, then launder the money and drive around in Cadillacs and smoke big cigars. (Just like the bosses, really, which is a connection that few seem to make) There's an old Doonesbury comic lampooning this attitude, when Duke tells Honey that someone is a labor leader to avoid being a laborer.

-- Mal

[toesonthenose]

31. Thanks!

I did some Googlefu and went down that rabbit hole for a while today. I can see where some issues could arise, especially considering the history of some union malfeasance in the past. But I would think by and large that stuff doesn't happen any longer and voting to unionize would be by far the smartest option for workers. I know I would if presented with the option. Thanks for the information, very much appreciated!

[Orrex]

22. Literally every day I see assholes on social media railing against unions

Some are bots and shills, no doubt, but more than a few are known to me personally, and they're every bit as passionate about it as the corporate drones.

They invariably talk about union leaders' salaries or about this or that scandal from five decades ago. Or they'll howl about the totally real union member they know who took three hours to do a 15 minute job blah blah blah.


Literally every single thing that doesn't suck about a W2 job is the direct result of unions fighting for it, more than once with the literal blood of its members.

These modern fuckheads imagine that their benevolent corporate overlords will reward them if only they prove their obsequiousness.

[tiredtoo]

27. People vote against unions for various reasons

One already mentioned here is "Unions just protect the deadbeats." Another on top of the list is "Unions are communists". And there is "why should i pay union dues just so the leader can make millions?" That's just a few off the top of my head.

[malthaussen]

30. I actually did belong to a union where the leaders were corrupt shills...

.... and probably criminal, and who didn't do squat for the members. It's not a totally false charge, but of course it is blown way out of proportion by the anti-union activists.

-- Mal

[MichMan]

33. In Michigan, there were over a dozen UAW top officials convicted for fraud and malfeasance.

In the last few years; including a couple presidents. People stealing dues money to spend on themselves and in the Detroit papers weekly for quite awhile. I'm not sure the investigations are over yet.

[Rob in Htown]

36. The Home De Pot

Those workers must be stoned out of their gourds to vote against their own self-interests.