Published
Thu, Jun 2, 2022, 18:36
- "Every single instrument I pass through my station sells for more than my monthly take-home wages," said Jack Dahnke, who works the Matriarch line at the factory.
The workers of Moog Music Inc. are launching a unionization campaign through the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) in an effort to secure better pay from the company.
The Moog Music Union announced the move via Instagram on Wednesday. The post included a list of demands including livable wages, just-cause employment protections and greater transparency from company executives, as well as a call to action for the workers' first rally, which took place the same day at Moog's facility in Asheville, North Carolina.
In a press release, Moog workers said the company has failed to provide them with a "stable livable environment," despite Moog president and CEO Michael Adams having sold 49 percent of the company to its employees in 2015.
According to the release, Moog's starting hourly rate for assemblers, packers and warehouse workers is $14.10, well short of Asheville's living wage of $17.70, as reported by Citizen Times.
"Every single instrument I pass through my station sells for more than my monthly take home wages and I’m expected to go through 11 daily," said line worker Jack Dahnke.
The union's effort to terminate the company's at-will employment policy follows a spate of layoffs in the past few months, which workers claimed disproportionately targeted "people of marginalized identities."
"Prior to the layoffs, the company was approximately 9 percent people of color, 6 percent trans and 70 percent cis white men," the statement reads. "Of those let go, 29 percent are people of color, 21 percent are trans, and 35 percent are cis white men. Four of the 14 had been vocal in challenging executives during company meetings. Two had begun the unionization effort and were a part of the Volunteer Organizing Committee at Moog."
The union faces an uphill battle in North Carolina, where just 2.6 percent of workers are organized, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Worse yet, in 2021 Oxfam ranked the state last in terms of wages, worker protections and right to organize.
Resident Advisor approached Moog Music Inc. for comment last week. This is the company's reply in full.
"Moog Music Inc. is aware of the unionization campaign launched by the IBEW 238 and a group of Moog Music staff members.
We respect that our employee-owners have the right to join a union, and we will not do anything to interfere with their right to do so.
We have engaged outside resources to help ensure our company navigates the aforementioned union efforts legally and with proper guidance. While we don’t believe a union is in the best interests of our employee-owners, we will ensure that everyone at the factory has access to accurate information about unions and what a union would mean at Moog so that our employees may make their own informed decisions.
We will continue to encourage our employee-owners to share their concerns and participate in direct conversations with management to achieve our shared goals. And we will remain committed to providing benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401K with company match, shares in the ESOP, life insurance) and compensation packages that are competitive both regionally and within the industry.
Working together, we are committed to building an even stronger Moog so that all employee-owners know their voices are heard, their needs are met, and they can take pride in the quality instruments they design, build, package, ship, and service for our customers."
Lauren Steiner, an activist and independent journalist who hosts the bi-weekly The Robust Opposition, attended yesterday's rally and later shared a clip, which you can watch below.
And read the Moog Music Union's entire post on Instagram.
Photo: Lauren Steiner via Youtube
Update, June 6th: This piece has been updated with a statement from Moog Music Inc.