September 8, 2021 Letter to Members
Dear Washington NWCU Members,
Housing, childcare, and living expenses are at an all-time high and the gap between workers and the ultra-rich is growing. Our members are working long hours and there is a tremendous amount of frustration with the divisions in the world. We have also been acting as a divided unit. As a union, we have the opportunity to come together in support of this agreement or come together on a strike.
Last night we announced that the vote on TA4 will double as a strike authorization/intention vote.
To be crystal clear – when you vote on TA4 you are voting whether to go on strike next week.
• A yes vote means you support this TA and oppose a strike
• A no vote means you do not support this TA and you authorize a strike, starting next week.
• If this TA fails (by simple majority), we will go on strike starting Thursday, September 16th.
Your Bargaining Team stands behind this historic agreement, and we recommend a clear and strong “yes” vote. Many members have pushed for a strike and as you consider your vote, we want you to be as informed as possible. Linked here are three critical pieces of information:
1. Section 55B of the UBC Constitution that outlines the rules regarding strike fee assessments – the real and hard daily cost directly assessed to members who work on non-strikable jobs.
2. The list of contractors who have assigned their bargaining rights to the AGC of Washington and may have their jobsites fall within a strike, subject to final determination by the Northwest Carpenters Union.
3. A list of projects that are not subject to strike as they do not assign their bargaining rights to the AGC, Independent Agreements, and no strike/no lock-out provisions in Project Labor Agreements (PLA’s) or other similar agreements attached to the project.
We want to ensure that you are informed of the key components of a strike before you vote. NWCU representatives and bargaining committee members are here to answer any questions you may still have—please reach out.
Our goal is to ensure that as many members as possible raise their voice—no matter which side of the vote you stand on.
In solidarity,
Jeff Thorson and the Bargaining Team