Labor organizing continues rise with South Portland fuel terminal workers vote
Courtesy / Global South Portland
Eight employees at the Global South Portland marine terminal voted unanimously to align with the United Steelworkers.
Labor organizing is on the rise in Maine and nationwide. The most recent example in Maine was the unanimous vote last week by eight employees of Global South Portland, a marine terminal at 1 Clark Road in the city, to align with the United Steelworkers.
The workers — who handle the unloading and storage of heating oil, asphalt, kerosene and other fuels — said they decided to organize because of concerns about workplace safety, wages and job security.
“We all agreed that the old ways weren’t working and we need to have a voice on the job,” said Global employee Colton Carr, who is one of the organizers. “While wages are important, we also want to be able to come home to our families in one piece every night. We wanted to have a stronger voice on workplace safety so the company doesn’t cut corners to save a buck.”
He continued, “With the world as crazy as it is, we want some job security and we need someone to have our backs. By forming a union we can gain the power we need to have a stronger voice in the workplace.”
Global South Portland is part of Global Partners LP (NYSE: GLP), headquartered in Waltham, Mass.
“We will respect the vote of the employees, and consistent with all our union workforces, we look forward to discussing a collective bargaining agreement with the union,” Jaclyn Harrison, director of corporate communications at Global Partners LP, told Mainebiz.
Global started in 1933, in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, with a single truck. Today, the company has 3,400 employees, two dozen terminals and 1,500 owned or supplied gas stations.
Global has operated the South Portland terminal since 2001, but the site has housed an active facility since the early 1900s. Global also operates 13 retail stations in Maine, according to the company’s website.
The South Portland terminal includes 12 bulk storage tanks, four of which are heated, and stores diesel fuel, home heating fuel oil, kerosene, No. 6 oil and asphalt. Situated on the waterfront, Global serves fuel truck customers through a five-bay station, and serves commercial bunker fuel customers from the facility's dock.
Last week, the employees said they were better situated to improve workplace safety than company executives who work remotely. As the “boots on the ground,” they work directly with potentially dangerous machinery and substances all day, workers said.
“The times of the 1940s and 50s when you went to work, gave it your best and the company would look out for you are dead and gone,” Carr said. “If you want to get what you’re worth, you’ve got to build the collective power to demand it.”
He added, “It can be a little scary to form a union because the company isn’t going to like it, but at the end of the day you’ve got to have heart and stand up for yourself because, as the old saying goes, ‘Nobody is going to look out for you as good as you look out for yourself.’ You’ve got to be willing to step up and go to bat.”
In Maine, United Steelworkers represents 2,400 workers in the paper, oil, public employee, services, banking and utilities sectors.
Over the past year, unions in Maine have formed at a variety of employers, including social service organizations, Maine Medical Center, the Portland Museum of Art and Starbucks. Last week, Coffee By Design in Portland recognized the organized labor group formed by its baristas and retail workers with Local 327 of the Laborers' International Union of North America.
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