Starbucks Union

 Employees at the Starbucks on East Main successfully voted to unionize. vote was 11 yes, 2 no and 1 ballot challenged, which was enough to see the vote passed.

Do not think this will mean any major chages to customers of the business, although Starbucks has threatened to withhold some health care benefits from employees at  any of its stores that voted to unionize.

John A. Logan Union

It looks as if the last non-unionized unit at John A. Logan College will vote to unionize in the next couple of week. Regular staff at the college, as well as both faculty and adjunct faculty already have membership in various unions, leaving the non-teaching staff as the only group unrepresented.  From talking with a member of the non-teaching staff, JALC administration apparent planned to adjust or refigure pensions (I didn't catch the details). This bothered non-teaching staff members enough that talk of organizing surfaced.

Administration pulled the proposed pension adjustments but apparently too late to quell interest in the union.  Organizers feel they have enough support among non-teaching staff ratification of the union should pass when brought to a vote.

Unions don't occur where employees are satisfied with their jobs. Treat them well and you do not have a union problem. 

More Protesters

Not on campus this time, thank goodness. Saw a group of union workers protesting the new Long John Silver's at the intersection of East 13 and Giant City Road.  I gather, from the signs, that non-union labor was used in the construction of the building.