Pfizer Employees Reportedly Seek to Unionize in Portage Facility
More than a thousand hourly employees have allegedly signed their names in an effort to create a labor union at the Portage Pfizer manufacturing facility.
An unidentified employee told news sources about a signature sheet being circulated. The employee also said for unionizing efforts to proceed, about 30 percent of the plant's workers would need to support a vote.
Pfizer issued the following statement...
"We are aware that a union has approached some of our colleagues about their interest in union representation. We are encouraged that an overwhelming majority have volunteered to us that they are not interested in joining a union. We are a global company with unions all over the world; however, our strong preference is to deal directly with our workers on issues that arise from time to time."
According to the unnamed employee, a number of anti-union brochures and signs have been appearing around the facility since rumors of the petition sheet began circulating.
A possible motivator for the interest in unionizing could be linked to the company eliminating 6th and 7th day pay practice in Portage and Franklin, Ohio, affecting overtime pay for hourly employees. That went into effect this past January.
However, a memo delivered to employees outlined a situation in New York at the company's Pearl River facility. It stated employees there voted to opt OUT of a union, as they were only able to negotiate a 1.5% raise for unionized employees. That raise was lower than non-union employees received.
Pfizer just recently announced it would be building a new $120 million facility at the Portage Plant to make a Covid-19 treatment pill, Paxlovid. The new facility would add an estimated 250 jobs to the area.
More From WKMI
