On March 6, workers at H&M International in Charlotte, North Carolina voted in favor of joining Local 71. H& M is an intermodal logistics company that contracts with Norfolk Southern Railroad. The bargaining unit consists of 30 workers who are responsible for loading and unloading the shipping containers on rail cars.

The organizing efforts used comprehensive strategies, including a community delegation visit to the company’s New Jersey headquarters and working with locals that were already under contract with the company.

“We had a very strong committee that took on the owner in captive audience meetings,” said Matt Emmick, an organizer for Charlotte-based Local 71. “International Vice Presidents Fred Potter and Freddie Simpson linked the organizers to groups in New Jersey and put pressure on Norfolk Southern Railroad to issue a letter, stating that H&M’s union status would not affect the railroad’s contractual relationship with H&M.”           

The new Teamsters recently held a contract proposal at the end of March. Negotiations will begin in the very near future.