National Labor Relations Board Charges Daycon With Violations of Labor Law

NLRB Says Cleaning Product Company Improperly Declared Impasse in Negotiations

WASHINGTON, July 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Striking workers represented by Teamsters Local 639 in Washington, D.C. won a significant victory this week when the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) charged their employer, cleaning product company Daycon, with violations of labor law.

The NLRB contends that Daycon, an Upper Marlboro, Md.-based company that manufactures and distributes cleaning and janitorial supplies to the Mid-Atlantic region, improperly declared an impasse in negotiations and unilaterally imposed new conditions on the workers in April. The 55 workers went on strike on April 26 to protest Daycon's unfair labor practices.

"We've said all along that the union was, and still is, wiling to bargain," said Doug Weber, Local 639's business agent for the bargaining unit. "Our members are willing to unconditionally return to work today and resume negotiations with the company."

Daycon's president John Poole cancelled the workers' insurance the day they went out on strike and has hired replacement workers and a security force that is on duty around-the-clock. In contrast to the NLRB's charges of labor law violation against Daycon, all unfair labor practice charges filed against the union by the company were been dismissed by the board in May.

A self-described, "$50 million company," Daycon has refused to bargain fairly with the workers, demanding the implementation of a two-tier wage structure that would prevent second-tier employees from obtaining the same financial security [enjoyed by] first-tier employees. This would not only discourage workers from making a career out of working at Daycon, but create a division within the workforce that would destroy morale.

"These charges only reinforce our position – Daycon needs to do the right thing and return to the negotiating table," said Thomas Ratliff, President of Local 639. "We never closed the door to negotiations and we are open to any reasonable resolution of the contract issues. Daycon decided to ignore the contributions these workers have made to the success of the company and walk away."

Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE Teamsters Local Union 639