Vice-President Gerry Setley recently completed contract negotiations with Local 1048c which bargaining rights for the food service workers at the Fort Lee, Virginia Army base. The local currently represents about 50% of the 450 employees at this location. During bargaining the local bargaining committee along with Gerry held fast to a proposal to have complete union security at this location. This is possible even though it’s a right-to-work-for-less state because it is a Federal installation. The local was successful in achieving this proposal. Right after the negotiations the employer lost the contract for providing services for this facility. The local continued to press this proposal with the successor employer and again was successful.

The local union now has gained approximately 200-250 new members through bargaining to organize and will be signing them up.