Smithtown Kia Technicians Vote Union Yes with Local 259
Auto technicians at Smithtown Kia on Long Island have voted union yes! On Monday, July 13, following another instance of union-busting by ownership, the majority of technicians at this dealership voted to join UAW Local 259. These technicians sought to form their union to oppose the lack of wage improvements, lack of paid time off, forever increasing healthcare costs, and insufficient respect from ownership for their skills, knowledge and abilities.
Although Smithtown Kia is the sister facility to Smithtown Toyota, where Local 259 has been the collective bargaining representative for decades, the boss Steve Cannata refused to voluntarily recognize the union. Instead, he spent $90,000 to hire a union buster with the goal of getting a majority of the technicians to vote no. In the face of the union busting campaign, the members stayed strong and focused on why they sought to form their union in the first place. Local 259 is now committed to working towards securing an excellent first agreement at this facility.
