USWA Fails in Bid to Unionize Timken Randleman Plant

The United Steelworkers of America (USWA) failed in its attempt to organize workers at Timken's bearing plant in Randleman, North Carolina. The 60-day campaign ran from mid-December through mid-February 2004 but failed to gain any significant traction among workers to sign so-called "check cards". An agreement in 2000 between Timken and the USWA gave the USWA the option of trying to organize Timken's nonunion plants. Since 1947, North Carolina has been a "Right to Work" state, a situation which posed a serious challenge for the USWA organizing effort right from the beginning. A Right to Work state is a state where workers -- even in an organized plant -- have the right to not join the union, and cannot be required to pay dues or an agency fee to the union unless they do join the union. North Carolina's efforts to attract businesses to the state, in fact, make a point of the atmosphere there in regards to unions: "North Carolina is a right-to-work state, with a unionization rate that is among the lowest in the nation." While carefully not mentioning Timken or the USWA directly, the local Chambers of Commerce and the Randolph County Economic Development Corp. adopted resolutions in mid-December and mid-January, officially opposing all efforts to organize local businesses. The Chamber of Commerce resolution, for example, "encourages our entire community to oppose all such efforts of outside parties and continue the free, unencumbered communication with management." RCEDC President Bonnie Renfro said in a statement, "Bottom line, it alters the current positive business climate in our county so important to our existing business and industry, and our prospective clients." By law, the USWA is now barred from engaging in any further organizing efforts at Timken Randleman for 12 months. Opened in 1994, Timken's Randleman roller bearing plant is a key factor in the city of less than 4,000 people. Supporting a payroll of approximately 200 workers, the Timken plant is Randolph County's 10th-largest employer. In an effort to improve its tax base, the city of Randleman annexed the then-abutting Timken property in 2001. Other annexation efforts aim to grow the city's recorded population by as much as 50%. Randleman's main claim to fame has been as home to NASCAR stock car racing legend Richard Petty, born in nearby Level Cross. Randleman is home to Petty Enterprises and the recently-opened Richard Petty Museum.