Union members in Hyattsville, MD are on strike over stalled contract negotiations, citing unfair labor practices and refusal to bargain.
Lead photo: Airgas employees represented by Teamsters Local 369 seen on strike Aug. 24 outside of the company’s Hyattsville, MD location. (Teamsters Local 369 photo)
On Aug. 23, the union representing freight and warehouse workers at an Airgas store began a strike in Hyattsville, MD, citing unfair labor practices and “the company’s refusal to negotiate a fair contract.”
A release from the Teamsters Local 639 said that more than 40 employees represented by the union are seeking fair contracts following failed negotiations with the company. Airgas has a store location in Hyattsville, MD that is about 7 miles east of downtown Washington D.C.
“For months, we’ve tried to negotiate in good faith, but Airgas’s greedy executives have shown no interest in reaching a fair agreement,” Local 639 President William Davis said in the release. “The company has brought this labor dispute upon itself by refusing to negotiate and undercut the bargaining process. Our members will not be bullied into accepting a substandard contract. We’re prepared to stay out as long as it takes.”
Local 639 detailed that the strike includes drivers and plant workers responsible for delivering essential gases to hospitals, laboratories and universities.
“Airgas management forced us into this strike by violating our rights and sabotaging the collective bargaining process,” Local 639 Filler and Shop Steward Gus Saravia said in an Aug. 24 statement on X. “I’ve been with Airgas for 14 years. We are the backbone of this company’s success. We don’t want to be on strike, but if the company refused to negotiate a fair deal, they leave us no choice.”
Radnor, PA-based Airgas — owned by Paris, France-based Air Liqude — ranked No. 4 on MDM’s Top Distributor’s List for Industrial Supplies, No. 4 for Safety and is on MDM’s unranked Gases & Welding Supplies List.
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Anna Debiec
Associate Editor Anna Debiec joined the MDM team in July 2024. She spent the previous two years as an acquisitions editor at book publisher Rowman & Littlefield. She leads MDM’s news reporting and contributes to our various research reports, manages MDM’s social media posting and supports other editorial endeavors.
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