September 17, 2021

It’s been a long 6 years, but the end is in sight for our struggle for justice at Altura.

We entered into negotiations with Altura in the summer of 2015 intending to achieve a new contract. The company did not enter those negotiations in good faith and strung them out until January 2016, whereupon it imposed illegal, unilateral terms on our members.  Shortly thereafter the Union filed a charge with the NLRB against Altura.  In March of 2017 a hearing was held, and the Union’s charge was upheld by the Administrative Law Judge assigned to the case.  The company appealed that decision to the NLRB in Washington, and again we were victorious.

Next, Altura appealed the Board’s rulings to the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals, where a 3-judge panel upheld the Board and the ALJ’s prior rulings in the Union’s favor.  Altura’s attempt to have the case heard “en banc” by the entire 9^th Circuit was denied, and the process of enforcing compliance with the previous rulings was begun.

As part of that process, Altura was required to post a notice to all employees accepting responsibility for its violations of federal labor law as well as outlining the steps for restitution that they must make. The company did that and you can read that posting here.

Our brothers at Altura have not yet reached the end of this saga as the compliance process is ongoing, part of which will be re-engaging at the bargaining table.  We hope our next report will be of a successful negotiation.  Thank you to the members at Altura for their solidarity.