Union Election Certified at One Dish Network Unit in Texas

Three months after Dish Network workers voted 25-19 for CWA representation at the Farmers Branch, Tex., facility, the full National Labor Relations Board finally certified the election. The workers are represented by CWA Local 6171.

Three members of the newly-constituted NLRB voted unanimously to certify the election results. Two of those three votes came from Board members Craig Becker and Mark Pearce who were appointed by President Obama following a big mobilization effort by CWA members.  

The NLRB's action was needed, and fast. Dish Network has engaged in a campaign of retaliation against union supporters ever since the election was held in late February. The company fired workers, stepped up the use of contractors, and made drastic changes in working conditions.

Another unit of Dish Network workers in North Richland Hills, Tex., voted 33-16 for CWA at the same time, but is still waiting for election results to be certified by the NLRB. Since the election, a third of the technicians have been fired by management or have quit because they're not given work assignments.

Some techs are working only one day a week, but all are being required to show up for work even though management sends many of them home immediately, claiming there is no work.