Frederick County Workers Say ‘Yes’ to Union

Over 100 correctional officers at the Frederick County Sheriffs Department won a card check victory conducted last Monday, reports their union, UFCW Local 1994. The win comes on the heels of a bill passed in April, by the Maryland State Legislature that granted the correctional officers collective bargaining rights. The organizing drive began shortly after the passage of the bill in April. "For over nine years we have tried to organize Frederick County workers in an environment unsupportive of collective bargaining legislation," said Local 1994 Organizing Coordinator Doug Menapace. This victory, though, shows that "once workers are given the opportunity, they overwhelmingly support union representation. We expect this will be a springboard to other legislative and organizing activity and help remedy the inequity of collective bargaining rights that exist in Frederick County," Menapace adds.