ALTA Material handling logo and IBB seal.
Employees at Alta Material Handling voted Oct. 15 to join the Boilermakers union, capping an organizing campaign that took just over a month.
Director of Organizing Carlos Brooks, Director of Manufacturing, Blacksmiths, Forgers, Metal Workers Don Brown, IR Tim Tolley and Organizer Mike Hancock led the campaign, which will bring the company’s entire workforce under a union contract. The Lewiston, Maine-based dealer sells and rents forklifts and provides parts, repair services and warehouse solutions. Workers include forklift mechanics, shop technicians and road technicians.
Brooks stressed the importance of empowering workers to build support among their coworkers.
“At some point, we’re not running the campaign. If I can empower the workers, they’ll be able to reach the people they see every day more than I can,” he said. “Workers feel comfortable. They know them. We don’t have to spend a lot of money and resources to have a victory.”
