IAM Organizing Department Helps West Virginia Weyerhaeuser Workers Win IAM Union Representation

Workers at Weyerhaeuser OSB in Heaters, W.Va. voted by an overwhelming majority to join the IAM Union, securing a powerful new voice on the job for approximately 140 employees.

The Heaters, W.Va., facility is a mill that processes and produces OSB sheathing. The bargaining unit includes four operations crews of approximately 26 employees each - about 23 operations team members, one millwright and one electrician per crew. Maintenance is covered by a 31-person crew handling days and on-call coverage. An additional six to 10 employees in shipping are expected to be included as well.

"This victory at Weyerhaeuser shows what's possible when workers stand united," said the IAM Union Eastern Territory General Vice President Dave Sullivan. "These 140 employees made a powerful statement that they're ready for a real voice on the job and a fair share of the value they create. We're proud to welcome them into the IAM family."

Workers say the biggest issues driving the campaign were ongoing policy changes aimed at "harmonizing" facilities under a new HR plan - changes they say have steadily eroded long-standing benefits. Employees point to reductions in vacation time, restrictions on overtime policies, shifts in pay week schedules that reduce hours on paychecks, and the gradual loss of fringe benefits that once made the job highly desirable in the region.

Their primary concern is stopping what many describe as the steady loss of the strong benefits that once came with working at the facility and building those standards back through a binding union contract. Several workers noted they left higher-paying jobs in the oil fields or over-the-road driving positions for the stability and benefits Weyerhaeuser once offered. Now, they say, many of those reasons are disappearing.

More senior employees have been especially vocal, having witnessed the gradual erosion of benefits. While newer workers may not have seen what has been lost, many still recognize the value of securing protections for the future.

"An overwhelming majority vote doesn't happen by accident. It happens because workers talk to each other, build trust and stand together," said IAM Assistant Organizing Director Juan Eldridge. "This campaign in West Virginia is a testament to strong organizing and even stronger solidarity."

Even where workers had differing opinions on some issues, they were united in one belief: the company's current path must change, and a union contract is the only way to ensure lasting protections. So strong was that conviction that managers reportedly shifted their messaging from "if you become union" to "when you are union."

Workers took ownership of the campaign in highly visible ways by printing their own stickers and shirts, and even collecting money for signs placed directly across from the facility entrance and along the road.

The lead organizer on the campaign, Assistant Organizing Coordinator Brent Coleman, worked closely with the committee to build support across the shop floor and ensure workers had the information and confidence they needed to make their voices heard. The IAM currently has approximately 18 collective bargaining agreements with Weyerhaeuser facilities, primarily in the Western Territory and one in the Southern Territory, giving these newest members a strong foundation of experience and solidarity to draw from as they prepare to negotiate their first contract.