New York 447S won the right to represent a unit of 81 workers at the Astrid Offset Corp. in New York City in early June.

Local 447S Pres. Michael Quaglia reported that the vote was won despite an "active anti-union campaign. Management was having the workers as a captive audience."

Quaglia said the campaign began after Local 447S Executive member Russell McLaughlin attended the GCIU Organizing Institute in Linthicum, Md., last fall. He returned to the local fired up about organizing and ready to find a target and begin a campaign.

McLaughlin works full-time in a paper production plant, Quaglia said, but he still found the time to visit non-union plants.

At a Local 447S Executive Board meeting, Quaglia said, board members Gary Kaval and Gilbert Ortiz reported that Astrid Offset, a plant in the same building where they work, could be organized.

With their help, McLaughlin "began a relentless organizing campaign in person and on the phone with the workers from Astrid Offset," Quaglia said. After getting more than the necessary union representation cards signed, McLaughlin filed with the National Labor Relations Board for an election.

To counter management's captive audience meetings, Quaglia said, the union scheduled a meeting on the Saturday before the election "to convince these workers to go GCIU union."

On the following Tuesday, the Astrid employees voted 40 to 30 in favor of the GCIU.

Quaglia gave special thanks to the "workers who voted with the union, for they were the ones constantly on the firing line while in the plant."

One of the "messages driven home to this group," Quaglia said, "was how professional people, whether ball players or rock stars, can get a contract as individuals. But the only way we as workers can get one for our services and talents is collectively, united, all together."