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Labor board rules workers at Boise's Swissport Cargo Services can hold election to unionize – Idaho Capital Sun

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Labor board rules workers at Boise's Swissport Cargo Services can hold election to unionize – Idaho Capital Sun


The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that workers at the Boise location of Swissport Cargo Services, an international aviation service company, can vote on whether they want to unionize. 

The elections will take place Jan. 18 and 19 after the labor relations board denied a jurisdictional dispute filed by the company. The workers will hold the election to decide whether the General Teamsters, Warehousemen and Helpers Local 483 union will represent the cargo warehouse agents, loadmasters and traffic office agents employed by Swissport at the Boise Airport, according to a Jan. 2 letter from a local representative of the labor relations board.

Swissport is a Switzerland-based aviation services company providing airport passenger services, lounge hospitality and cargo handling services, according to its website. Its headquarters are located in Zürich, Switzerland. Active in 44 countries with around 57,000 employees worldwide, its Boise location primarily handles Amazon packages and mail, according to two Boise location workers.

According to the letter, Swissport argued that the case should be referred to the National Mediation Board for an advisory opinion. 

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The National Mediation Board is an agency of the U.S. government that coordinates labor-management relations within the U.S. railroads and airlines industries. This jurisdictional claim arises under the Railroad Labor Act, a 1926 law designed to discourage labor strikes and lockouts in the transportation sector to avoid economic disruption, according to Union Facts.

According to the letter, a hearing officer of the National Labor Relations Board conducted a hearing, and the parties filed briefs. Region 27 director Matthew Lomax considered the evidence and arguments presented by the parties, and he found that the National Labor Relations Board has jurisdiction over Swissport. 

“Although the services provided by Swissport are the type of work traditionally performed by employees of air carriers, the record indicates that the Employer is a third-party contractor with full responsibility for its employees,” Lomax wrote.

Swissport workers allege union busting practices, while company spokesman says it encourages workers to vote

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Two cargo warehouse workers in favor of the union drive, Derek Bellas, 23, and Hayden Rippey, 23, said the company attempted to stall the election by claiming the jurisdictional dispute after workers filed for an election in October. 

That’s in addition, Bellas and Rippey said, to other tactics the company reportedly used to prevent a union from forming, such as providing false information about unions, hosting anti-union meetings during work hours and a supervisor tearing up union materials in the break room. 

The Idaho Capital Sun attempted to reach Swissport Boise location general manager Scott Monk, the Swissport human resources department and a Swissport media contact for comment. Swissport did not respond to specific concerns raised by the workers.

However, Swissport spokesperson Stefan Hartung said in an emailed statement that the company does have “an engaged and enthusiastic workforce.”

“We respect all workers’ rights, including the right to unionize if they chose,” Hartung said in the statement. “We look forward to continuing our tradition of engaging directly with our team to discuss all aspects of their work. Swissport strongly encourages all of our Boise employees to vote. Whatever the outcome, we will continue to honor their wishes.”

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In an interview with the Idaho Capital Sun, Rippey said the lack of representation in their workplace is what led him to become involved with the union drive.

Why some Boise workers support the unionization effort

“We have no representation,” Rippey said. “We don’t file grievances, because who do you file a grievance to? There’s no on-site HR person, or they bring people in who are HR. And what they tell you is we’re here to talk about a union and we want you to vote for a union, which (Swissport wasn’t) letting us have for months.”

Bellas told the Sun in a telephone interview that the high turnover rate at the Boise Swissport location is what originally made him interested in the union drive. He said the company hires more people than they have payroll for, leading the company to reduce hours for workers.

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“So every morning you come in, and then there’s, you know, half a dozen, 10 or more people that they just need to send home every day that don’t get their hours, and they waste gas money,” Bellas said. “And you know with the skyrocketing cost of living, it’s just kind of ridiculous. A number of my coworkers are working second jobs that I know of, there’s at least one person that’s working three jobs, and it’s really killing her.”

The work schedule to unload planes starts at 10:30 p.m. and ends at 6:30 a.m., according to Bellas and Rippey.

Bellas said the union effort is not just about working with people at Swissport to improve working conditions, but setting a precedent for democratically structured worker representation across the country. 

“That’s something that I personally believe in,” Bellas said. “You know, we’re contracting for a big company like Amazon, and I think it’s ridiculous that some people can barely afford to live … working a full time job. Corporate, they’ve done everything to fight us that they legally can do.”

Bellas said 70% of Swissport workers signed union cards and that the jurisdictional dispute was a way for the company to delay their election. He also said captive audience meetings where “union busters” came in to dissuade people from voting in indirect ways, such as claiming Amazon would drop their contract with the company if workers voted to unionize.  

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That didn’t make sense to Bellas, who said other Swissport locations have unionized with no contracts being dropped.

After organizing in 2018, a group of more than 150 Swissport aircraft fuelers at SeaTac International Airport ratified a three-year contract with Teamsters Local 174 in 2022. There have been no public reports of Amazon severing their contract with Swissport in Seattle. 

Another issue raised by Rippey and Bellas is how union material in the break room was torn up and thrown away by a supervisor. Bellas said that the same supervisor told workers that Amazon would drop the contract if they voted to unionize.

Rippey said that event became a joke around the workplace about how the company felt about workers’ First Amendment rights.

“That’s what scares a lot of people is that they can just get away with it,” Rippey said.

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Idaho

Bruins’ Cronin Expresses Blunt Thoughts on Win Over Idaho State

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Bruins’ Cronin Expresses Blunt Thoughts on Win Over Idaho State


The UCLA Bruins (4-1) have continued their hot hand on home court this season, staying undefeated at Pauley Pavilion with an 84-70 win over Idaho State on Wednesday night.

Coach Mick Cronin spoke postgame and was quite pleased with the majority of the game but not how his team finished.

“I thought for 30 minutes we played great, then we got up 28 and a bunch of guys were selfish,” Cronin said. “Their mind wasn’t on defense, just try to get a steal, get a layup, go down the other end, try to get mine. We became everything I despise in the last 10 minutes, but the first 30 minutes we were great.”

The Bruins likely should have won this game by way more than 14 points, but a lackluster performance down the stretch led to a much closer ballgame than projected. Cronin knows his team took their pedal off the gas and was very honest in his response to the performance.

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Cronin is a straight-shooter in terms of coaching his team. He does it for the love of his players and the hunger to be great. He is not solely focused on winning conference titles and championships. Instead, he wants his guys to learn the game the right way and be ready for the next level.

“I always go in there and tell them the truth,” Cronin said. “Look at the second-half defensive stats, look at their offensive stats in the second half. Most of it is after we got up 28, which we were up 28 with 10:24 left in the game. ‘I got to get my stats,’ they actually think that matters when it doesn’t matter. No scout gives a damn about your stats, they’re watching the game, they’re watching how you warm up, they’re watching how you act, they’re watching how you compete. They’re not watching your stats, it’s comical. They’re watching your turnovers, your assists, your defense, your decisions, your shooting percentage, they could care less how many points you average.”

The Bruins’ leading scorer in the win was sophomore Sebastian Mack, who finished with 21 points and was 15-16 from the free-throw line. He only made three field goals and the rest of his scoring was produced at the charity stripe due to his ability to get to the rim and get fouled.

Cronin was pleased with how Mack has developed in just a few games this season. After an ugly performance in the loss to New Mexico, Mack has stepped his game up tenfold with three straight games with double-digit scoring and limited turnovers.

“He [Mack] got 16 free throws; again, I think some of that was the other guys — teammates made some shots which helped,” Cronin said. “But he’s just really improving in his pace, in his decision-making. I told him at halftime, I said, ‘I think they’re going to really pack the paint on you in the second half.’ As soon as I went to say it to him, he goes, ‘I know what’s coming.’ He’s a sophomore, he’s getting better, he’s shooting a high percentage. I’ve always loved his toughness, he’s a bright spot for us.”

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The Bruins will get back at it on Friday night when they host Cal State Fullerton (1-4). They have just two more non-conference home games left before they start Big Ten play at Pauley Pavilion against the Washington Huskies. Cronin will continue to improve his guys before the real tests start.

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First Responders remind drivers of Idaho Codes that could land them in jail

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First Responders remind drivers of Idaho Codes that could land them in jail


TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — This week is “Crash Responder Safety Week” which highlights the critical need for drivers to be alert when passing first responders and law enforcement on the road. KMVT spoke with local first responders about the issues they’ve seen when on scene of an incident.

“Most of what I see is people passing by– they’re trying to record,” says Corporal Michael Guest.

You may remember back in 2022 an Idaho State Police Trooper, Michael Wendler was struck by a distracted driver on I-84 while responding to a vehicle fire in Jerome County.

“The motorist was on her phone when he was trying to direct traffic,” says Guest.

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Wendler suffered critical injuries and even lost part of his memory. By 2023 he was medically retired from the ISP. However, incidents like this are why “Crash Responder Safety Week” is so important.

“We would definitely recommend drivers to keep their attention to the roadway and driving and not be concerned with recording an accident while driving,” says Twin Falls Fire Department Station 2′s Battalion Chief, Corey Beam.

First responders have been urging drivers to follow the law. Specifically, Idaho Code 49-624, which states that drivers are required slow down and move over when approaching a stationary vehicle.

“The proper thing to do is pull to the right, as its safe, pull to right and get out of the way,” says Manager of the Magic Valley Paramedics, Stan Flint.

According to Flint, first responders usually have back-up support to avoid rescuers from getting injured by distracted drivers. Including the Jerome Sheriff’s Office.

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“A lot of times there are troopers that will actually stop at my scene and specifically watch for that,” says Guest.

At the Twin Falls Fire Department, they’re trained to be prepared for possible accidents when responding to an incident on the roads or highways.

“Guys and gals who are trained to drive our engines, often they will park those fire engines in a way that protects the scene, so if someone were to crash into a scene, they will crash into the truck before they crash into our responders,” says Beam.

The consequence for not slowing down or moving over for stationary vehicles is a citation and a $90 fine. If any first responders are injured, you could face jail time.

“In response to what happened to Wendler, they since passed an aggravated reckless driving law that makes it a felony for anybody that causes severe injuries,” says Guest.

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Obituary for Loa Joy Crystal at Eckersell Funeral Home

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Obituary for Loa Joy Crystal at Eckersell Funeral Home


Loa Joy Crystal, age 76, of Idaho Falls, Idaho passed away peacefully at her home on Sunday November 17, 2024. Joy was born October 24, 1948 in Rigby, Idaho a daughter to Floyd David and Harriet Eunice Johnson Crystal. Joy attended and graduated from Rigby High School. Throughout her life



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