NYS Iron Workers Organizer Eddie Jorge to Exploited Workers: Claim Your Piece of the American Dream; Stand Up and be Counted

On Wednesday April 13, workers employed by U.S. Crane and Rigging voted by a 4-1 margin to join Ironworkers Local 197. LaborPress spoke to New York State Ironworkers District Council Organizer Eddie Jorge to find out how the workers triumphed over threats and intimidation to finalize the win.

In 2016, Edgar Joshua Melendez, a U.S. Crane rigger at 111 West 57th St. in Manhattan, publicly walked off the job to join the Ironworkers union at a protest outside the building, saying he was paid only $15 an hour.

“We had elections in the past, [but] the supervisor [always] intimidates the workers. This time, was a little bit easier because it was not an inyour-face kind of election — this time, it was a mail-in ballot,” says Jorge. “A lot of these guys worked for [U.S. Crane and Rigging] for years, but they were afraid. They could vote at home and nobody’s looking over their shoulder at how they voted. That was the only reason that they felt a little bit comfortable. I talked to the workers and told them, you can vote however you want, nobody’s going to know. The first time, [the supervisor] was telling the workers that they had to bring in the ballot so they could mail it for them.”

The National Labor Relations Board [NLRB] ordered this latest revote after the previous election ended in a tie with both the company and the union each contesting an equal number of ballots.

Jorge says U.S. Crane and Rigging supervisors have a history of fearmongering and preying on vulnerable workers fearing deportation.

“[The supervisor] told them they were going to be fired, he threatened them with deportation because a lot of them are undocumented,” Jorge says. “He has a history of intimidating workers and the guys, they’re afraid of him. He’ll keep them home for a couple of weeks and then get rid of them.”

Jorge has been able to build up significant relationships with undocumented workers at U.S. Crane and Rigging over a number of years, which he was able to draw on ahead of last month’s successful union vote.

“I said, look, we’re not looking to pull you out of U.S. Crane and