A small group of drivers at Werner Enterprises’ subsidiary ECM Transport approved a vote to unionize last week.
The unionization push involved New Jersey workers at terminals across Cinnaminson, Hamilton and Piscataway townships, the United Food & Commercial Workers Local 152 announced last Friday on social media channels, following an Aug. 24 vote.
The collective bargaining election had 26 eligible voters, and the secret ballot question asked if workers wanted to be represented by UFCW Local 152 for collective bargaining, according to a National Labor Relations Board online case file.
Of 25 votes, 17 were in favor and eight were against the measure.
"Werner does not plan to challenge the results and will comply in good faith with our obligations," the company said Thursday in a statement to Trucking Dive.
While the election involved a small number of workers compared to Werner’s 10,249 drivers and thousands of other workers as of Dec. 31, 2022, the Nebraska-based carrier reported in March that none of its associates in Canada or the U.S. are in a collective bargaining unit.
Werner acquired an 80% ownership stake in ECM Associated in July 2021 for $141.3 million. ECM Associated is made up of subsidiaries ECM Transport and Motor Carrier Service, according to a 2022 quarterly report for Werner. The Werner acquisition added over 500 drivers at the time, according to an announcement.
ECM provides regional truckload carrier services in the Mid-Atlantic, Ohio and Northeast, Werner also noted in an annual report. Headquartered in Cheswick, Pennsylvania, the business also provides logistics services, according to its website.
