It can be hard for Vince to find a manager at Home Depot during normal times. Since he went public with his attempt to unionize the store, that has not been a problem.
Employees have been called into meetings with their supervisor and taken out to lunch.
The 27-year-old, who has worked here 512 years, filed a union election petition on Monday. The petition is being reviewed.
It would be the first Home Depot store in the United States to organize if workers voted for the union. The home improvement chain seems to be relying on a faithful tactic for employers: saturate the workplace with managers from near and far to discourage workers from unionizing.
In its fight against Starbucks Workers United, Starbucks dispatched managers to stores where workers were considering forming a union and held meetings with them to weaken union support. Since December, more than 200 Starbucks stores have unionized.
“Before this, I didn’t even know what my district manager looked like.”
- A worker at the Home Depot in northeast Philadelphia
It is difficult to discuss the possibility of a union with his co-workers because of the attention he has received from management.
He said that he had been following him around. Someone from loss prevention follows me around whenever I walk on the floor.
Home Depot is not making an affirmative case for themselves.
Home Depot doesn't believe unionization is the best solution for associates, according to an email from a company spokesman.
The spokesman said they were looking forward to talking with their associates. We have a track record of working successfully with our associates to resolve concerns, which is why we have an open-door policy.
He started the union effort because his co-workers feel like they're being treated unfairly during the home improvement boom. He thinks that the management's response to workers' concerns has shown the value of the effort.
The worker who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the managers at the store went far beyond the norm. The worker said that some managers from other stores had contacted them recently to discuss the job and how the store could be improved.
The worker said he didn't know what his district manager looked like before. I was wondering what was happening when I saw all these people. I didn't know what to think.
The worker said it was funny to see a lot of concern for the store's operation.
The worker said that they all said it to HR and that they barely implemented anything. Once there is talk of a union, they want to help us out and do things for us.
Do you work at Home depot and think about unionization? You can email our reporter about it. You can keep your identity a secret.
The worker said that one manager explained how organizers round up signatures in order to get an election.
In order for a vote to be scheduled, 30% of the proposed bargaining unit needs to sign signatures. Around 37% of the store's work force signed up for the signatures, according to the man. Some recent successful unionization efforts began with a petition from a minority of workers.
“I’ve worked here five and a half years, and I’ve never in my life seen this.”
- Home Depot employee Vince Quiles
He said that he and his co-workers decided on a name for the union. The group isn't associated with a union. A labor lawyer will be training workers on how to spot unfair labor practices and labor law violations when they are hired.
An election win for the union would put Home Depot in a category with other big-name U.S. employers who are not union-free. Home Depot has 2,300 stores in the US and Canada.
Home Depot doesn't currently have any unions in the US, despite the fact that some of its drivers in California are represented by the Teamster. The company requires workers to watch anti-union videos as part of their job training in order to teach them how to organize.
Management at the store started holding group meetings for workers in a training room. During an organizing effort, it is common for employers to have managers or consultants talk about how to undermine the union. Home Depot wouldn't say if the meetings were happening.
He didn't sit in on any of the gatherings. He thought he was not invited because he was the person who filed the election petition.
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