CWA Alleges IBM Bullied Workers in Union Effort

The Communications Workers of America filed a complaint against IBM Corp., charging that the computer maker intimidated employees working to organize a union.

Local 1120 of the CWA, the world’s largest union for media, telecommunications and computer workers, filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board about four incidents at IBM’s East Fishkill and Poughkeepsie, N.Y., plants. Among the charges, the CWA alleges that IBM on Friday threatened to fire an 18-year employee after he told his boss he signed a petition for a vote on a union.

Some IBM employees began circulating the petitions after IBM in May decided to switch to a cash-balance pension plan. Workers have complained that cash-balance plans cut benefits for older employees. Union organizing has become more active in recent weeks with meetings in local motels and plant parking lots.

“We feel IBM is bent on putting pressure on employees. We’re warning them we have zero tolerance for breaking the law,” said Jerry Ebert, a regional organizer for Local 1120 who filed the charges.

“We haven’t seen a copy of the complaint, but we’re confident we haven’t violated any laws,” said Jana Weatherbee, an IBM spokesperson.

The NLRB could not be reached for comment.

The union wants to sign up at least half the workers at the Poughkeepsie and East Fishkill facilities to push for a formal vote for unionizing.

After receiving the signatures, the NLRB would hold meetings between the company and the union, leading to votes on the union in the following 45 days, the CWA said.