By COLIN STAUB
Dairy workers making Tillamook products will remain represented by Teamsters Local 58, after a decertification petition was voted down at the end of November.
With 87% turnout, Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) workers voted 111 to 91 to stay in the union, in ballots counted Nov. 30.
TCCA is a cooperative of Tillamook County dairies that produce cheese and other dairy products under the Tillamook brand name. The company is headquartered in the city of Tillamook, Oregon, where its flagship creamery is located.
Local 58 has represented TCCA workers for decades. But on Oct. 13 a worker asked the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold a decertification election. The petition covered workers in the cheese, whey, package, ice cream, lab, traffic, cold storage, farm store, and utility departments of TCCA facilities throughout Tillamook County.
It’s unclear what spurred the de-cert attempt: The NLRB doesn’t disclose the identity of individuals who file petitions, and NLRB records don’t show any third-party involvement in the campaign (like the National Right-to-Work Foundation, which often supports decertifications).
Local 58 President Walter LaChapelle could not be reached by press time.
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