Chicago Bikeshare Workers Filing for Election

Union seeks to represent Divvy workers

Chicago’s bikeshare workers (Divvy) have joined their counterparts in New York (Citibike), Boston (Hubway) and Washington, D.C. (Capital Bike) in seeking union representation with TWU Local 100.

A group of Divvy workers delivered a majority of signed union authorization cards to management this week demanding voluntary recognition. Management refused to accept the cards. The workers countered by filing for an election with the National Labor Relations Board.

Bikeshare workers in Boston and Washington, D.C. have done similarly.

Local 100 has already won voluntary recognition for New York’s bikeshare workers.

However, big changes came to Alta Bicycle Share, the company that runs bikeshare in all four cities this week. The company has a new owner, an infusion of cash, and a new boss — former MTA CEO Jay Walder. The Walder-led group, from Equinox Fitness, a division of real estate giant, The Related Companies, promised a long range plan to expand Citibike service in New York. But the takeover also seems to have hardened management’s attitude toward unionization.

Local 100 President John Samuelsen said that TWU would approach the new management group “with an open mind.”

“We intend to win recognition, whether by NLRB election or voluntary recognition at cities throughout the country,” Samuelsen added. “In the end, we intend to have contracts for the workers in New York and the other cities we are organizing in.”