Fighting union busters in a Carolina carpet mill : an organizer's memoir / Phil Cohen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cohen, Phil, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Cohen, Phil.

Mohawk Industries.

Workers United.

Rug and carpet industry--Employees--Labor unions--Organizing--North Carolina.

Rug and carpet industry.

Union busting--North Carolina.

Union busting.

Rug and carpet industry--Employees.

Labor unions.

North Carolina.

Genre:

Autobiographies.

Physical Description:

viii, 200 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Jefferson, North Carolina : McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, [2020]

Summary:

"In 2017, Workers United/SEIU called veteran organizer Phil Cohen out of retirement to investigate and expose a union-busting plot by Mohawk Industries at a North Carolina carpet mill. His hard-hitting account chronicles the resulting labor dispute that rocked a Fortune 500 company. The organizer had to prove management was behind an illegal decertification petition and forced workers to sign using strong-arm tactics. Though terrified of retaliation, witnesses gradually agreed to testify before federal agents. Mohawk retained a high-powered union-busting attorney who appealed directly to ultra-conservative heads of the National Labor Relations Board, while Right to Work Committee lawyers framed the issue as a test case to revoke laws protecting employee rights. The union's only hope rested on presenting evidence too formidable for political bias to surmount. This memoir, infused with dry wit and insights into human nature, blows the lid off the nation's union-busting epidemic, thrusting readers into the tumultuous environment of a union hall in crisis"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Part 1 The Campaign

1 The Committee p. 9

2 Meeting with Witnesses p. 21

3 Plant Tour p. 41

4 Labor Board Investigation p. 62

5 The Three Girls p. 67

6 The Union Busting Lawyer p. 74

7 Federal Agent's Grim Forecast p. 81

Part 2 The Case Unfolds

8 National Right to Work Attorneys p. 91

9 Illegal Discharge p. 102

10 Cartoons p. 109

11 Labor Board Decision p. 111

12 Becoming a Test Case p. 118

13 Union Lawyers p. 129

14 Preparing for Trial p. 138

15 Injured Workers p. 152

16 Compliance Period p. 161

17 The Tornado p. 167

18 House Calls p. 172

19 Shop Floor Confrontation p. 177

20 A Barrage of New Issues p. 184.

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

9781476683041

1476683042

OCLC:

1183400026

Publisher Number:

99985422832