Temco Logistics Drivers Vote to Join Teamsters, Union Files NLRB Charge

Seventy-nine flatbed drivers at Temco Logistics in Lithonia voted 42 to 33, with four abstentions, to join Teamsters Local 528, the local union’s chief Chuck Stiles said, and the Teamsters filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board on Feb. 4 alleging a coercive employer campaign. The union called the election result the first organizing victory at a Home Depot company and said the count came from the Feb. 20 vote.

The Teamsters’ complaint, as summarized by the union, accuses Temco managers of threatening employees with bodily harm if they voted for the union and of telling workers that "Home Depot (the owner of TEMCO Logistics) will shut down operations if the union is voted in." The filing also alleges management "coercively questioned employees about their union activities and sympathies" and "promised the Temco drivers benefits if they rejected the union," according to the union’s description of the ULP.

Local leadership framed the company’s campaign in stark terms. Chuck Stiles called it "the most vicious anti-worker campaign that I’ve ever seen in my 40-plus years as a Teamster" and said the way the company treated its majority Black and brown employees "was something from the Old South." Teamsters national leaders hailed the outcome: General President Sean M. O’Brien said, "We are incredibly proud to welcome our newest brothers and sisters at Temco Logistics into our Teamsters family" and added that "These workers are taking a history-defining step in being the first at a Home Depot company to join a union."

Drivers described their reasons for organizing and their expectations for bargaining. Jaree Beatles, identified by the union as a Temco driver and new Local 528 member, said, "We are ecstatic to finally be able to call ourselves Teamsters. Nobody at this company was willing to listen to us and our concerns until we turned to the Teamsters. We voted to join the union for better pay, dignity and respect at work, and to have the backing of the strongest union in North America." The union also noted drivers operate flatbed trucks outfitted with Moffet forklifts that require specialized training and certifications.

Temco’s chief human resources officer Amanda Wiechmann declined to comment on the pending ULP charges but emailed that "We’ll cooperate with the NLRB as they conduct their investigation and will address these claims through their legal process" and that "We plan to work with the union and the NLRB on next steps." The company added it aims to "create the best environment when we have a direct relationship with our employees" and to stay focused on listening to frontline staff. Home Depot did not respond to a request for comment.

The union said the National Labor Relations Board is expected to certify the Feb. 20 vote next week; Teamsters officials warned that anti-union pressure could continue as drivers prepare for a first bargaining agreement. Thomas Gesualdi, director of the Teamsters Building Trades and Construction Materials Division, said, "Home Depot and its subsidiaries are one of the most notorious anti-union employers in the country," and pledged continued union support as the NLRB reviews the ULP and the parties move toward post-election steps.