Union: IKEA workers in Virginia vote to unionize
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By STEVE SZKOTAK
Associated Press.
DANVILLE, Va. - Union officials say workers at IKEA's only U.S. factory have voted to belong to a union, like thousands of Europeans who work for the Swedish furniture giant.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers says employees at Swedwood Danville voted 221-69 Wednesday to have the union represent them in collective bargaining. The National Labor Relations Board had not officially released the results.
The union put IKEA's reputation as a worker- and environment-friendly global corporate citizen to the test, describing working conditions at the Danville plant as akin to those in a developing nation.
They complained of low wages, unsafe working conditions and erratic scheduling.
IKEA said the Virginia plant, near the North Carolina border, operates by the same principles applied at its 26 Swedwood plants in Europe.
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