Austin Pets Allied Workers hosts rally in preparation for vote

AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Pets Allied Workers (APAW) at Austin Pets Alive! (APA) prepared for a milestone Sunday at Texas AFL-CIO Headquarters in preparation to cast their ballots on May 1st.

The vote will decide whether to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 776.

Austin Pets Allied Workers is organizing to address critical issues, which include workplace safety and conditions, animal welfare policies, and fair compensation.

“We at Austin Pets Alive have been working to unionize for quite a while,” said Austin Pets Alive! data analyst Ellis Avallone. “Animal welfare as a whole is a pretty underrepresented industry in the labor movement, we were really excited to take this step and advocate for better working conditions and better living conditions for our animals.”

The National Labor Relations Board has confirmed that mail-in ballots will be sent out on Wednesday, May 1st. This is the same day the onsite vote will take place, with the final tally of both mail-in ballots and in-person votes scheduled for Friday, May 24th.

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