National Trucking Firm Wins Again in Union Election

Despite effort by Teamsters, Con-way Freight remains union-free

In a union representation election conducted recently by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), employees at Con-way Freight’s facility in Bakersfield, Calif. voted to reject representation by the Teamsters Union.

The Bakersfield vote marks the fifth election defeat for the Teamsters, who have been attempting to organize employees at various Con-way Freight facilities for the past five months.

The Michigan-based company’s Connecticut facility is located in Meriden.

“We continue to be surprised by the amount of inaccurate and misleading information that comes up in these election campaigns,” said Greg Lehmkuhl, president of Con-way Freight. “What we have found is that when our employees have the opportunity to get the facts, understand clearly the value of what they have today, and recognize the advantages and opportunities they have in being union-free, they make an informed choice and reject the union.”

The Bakersfield vote follows previous Teamster defeats in elections at Con-way Freight facilities in Santa Fe Springs and San Fernando Valley, California; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Harlingen, Texas. Earlier, the Teamsters withdrew a petition for a vote at Con-way Freight’s facility in Irvine, CA. Petitions often are withdrawn when a union believes it can’t capture enough votes to win.

“We are gratified by the support and confidence of our Bakersfield employees, as well as the support of all the employees at our other facilities who have rejected the Teamsters’ advances,” said Lehmkuhl. “We remain convinced that our path to success lies in maintaining an open, respectful and direct relationship with our employees without the interference of a third party.”

“I hope our employees will continue to reach out to us for the facts and analyze the issues carefully,” added Lehmkuhl. “As they do, we are confident they will reach the conclusion that the opportunities we have to grow and prosper and win with our customers in the marketplace are best achieved as a union- free enterprise.”

Con-way Freight currently does not have a contract with the Teamsters Union at any of its nearly 300 locations in the U.S.