Alabama Sherwin-Williams Production Site Workers Win Vote to Eject Boilermakers Union Bosses
National Labor Relations Board certifies election freeing 83 employees from unwanted union
Birmingham, AL (May 27, 2026) – Employees at a Sherwin-Williams Packaging Coatings Group production facility have freed themselves from the unwanted “representation” of International Brotherhood of Boilermakers union officials. The workers’ effort was spearheaded by Jacob Miller, who filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), seeking a “decertification” election to end the Boilermakers’ exclusive bargaining powers over the workers. Miller’s petition was filed with free legal aid from the National Right to Work Foundation.
The NLRB is the federal agency responsible for enforcing federal labor law, a task that includes administering elections to install (or “certify”) and remove (or “decertify”) unions. The workers filed a majority-backed petition with the NLRB to trigger a secret-ballot election among all 83 full-time and regular part-time production, maintenance, and quality employees employed by Sherwin-Williams at its 90 Carson Road, Birmingham, facility.
Miller’s petition was signed by enough of his coworkers to prompt the NLRB to schedule a union decertification vote. Following the workers election on May 6-7, in which a majority of workers voted against the union, NLRB Region 10 certified the election results to formally end Boilermakers union bosses’ exclusive representative status on May 15.
Alabama is one of 26 states with Right to Work protections, which safeguard workers by making union membership and dues payment strictly voluntary. However, even in Right to Work states, union officials can impose exclusive bargaining control upon all workers in a workplace, meaning they can dictate working conditions even for employees who oppose the union.
“We congratulate Mr. Miller and his coworkers on exercising their legal right to terminate the presence of unwanted Boilermakers union bosses at their workplace,” commented National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix. “While the workers at Sherwin-Williams were able to have their election administered and certified in a prompt manner, many more American workers remain trapped in union rank-and-file by union bosses abusing NLRB policies that undermine employees’ legal right to vote out unwanted unions.
“We hope the Trump NLRB will take the needed measures to protect workers from the rampant abuses of Big Labor by overturning the agency’s biased policies that block or bar decertification elections,” added Mix.
WV Quarry Workers Win Freedom from Unwanted Boilermakers Union
National Labor Board revokes union’s monopoly status after union officials disclaim interest due to overwhelming worker support for decertification
Harpers Ferry, WV (December 5, 2025) – Holcim Millville Quarry employees are officially free from International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB) Local DNCL union officials after the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Regional Director of Region 5 revoked the certification of the IBB as the workers monopoly “representative.”
The NLRB’s decision comes after IBB bosses “disclaimed interest” in the work unit, which followed a majority of workers signing a petition last month, asking the NLRB to hold a secret ballot election to “decertify” IBB union bosses as the workers exclusive representative. That petition was filed by quarry employee Curtis Mills with free legal representation from National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation staff attorneys.
The NLRB is the federal agency tasked with enforcing federal labor law and with adjudicating disputes between employers, unions, and individual workers.
Mills petition was signed by a majority of the approximately 36 workers in the bargaining unit. The election, close to being scheduled, would have taken place among all the drivers, loaders, maintenance, and laborers at the Millville Quarry Harpers Ferry, WV, facility.
IBB officials faced with the reality that most workers wanted nothing to do with the union, decided to avoid the embarrassment of a formal vote by a majority of workers against the union, and disclaimed their status as the workers’ so-called representative.
“For the first time in a long time we are thrilled with the union’s decision,” commented Mills. “We are glad to have been able to reclaim our workplace.”
West Virginia is one of 26 states with Right to Work protections that ensure union affiliation and dues payment are fully voluntary. However, even in Right to Work states, union officials can impose exclusive bargaining control upon all workers within a workplace, even those who oppose the union.
“The Foundation is pleased to have played a part in helping Mills and his colleagues achieve their desired outcome in so short a time,” commented National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix. “Unfortunately, the experience of many other independent-minded workers is less streamlined, as the combination of union legal tactics and an NLRB that has created numerous non-statutory rules to undermine decertification efforts makes it frequently difficult to even get an election scheduled.
“Workers facing such circumstances should know the Foundation is here to assist them, because no worker should be trapped in union boss ‘representation’ they oppose,” added Mix.
WV Millville Quarry Workers File Petition to Oust International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local DNCL Union Bosses
Majority of Harpers Ferry quarry workers support petition seeking end of union monopoly “representation”
Harpers Ferry, WV (November 10, 2025) – With the support of a majority of his coworkers, Holcim Millville Quarry employee Curtis Mills has filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) seeking a “decertification” election to end International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB) Local DNCL union officials’ monopoly “representation” powers. The petition was filed with free legal aid from the National Right to Work Foundation.
The NLRB is the federal agency responsible for enforcing the National Labor Relations Act, a task that includes administering elections to install (or “certify”) and remove (or “decertify”) unions.
Mills’ petition, which was signed by a majority of approximately 36 workers in the bargaining unit, is requesting that the NLRB hold a secret ballot election for all the drivers, loaders, maintenance, and laborers at the Millville Quarry Harpers Ferry, WV, facility to oust IBB Local DNCL union officials from their workplace.
“Many of us are not happy with the union and feel it is time for a change to reclaim our voices,” commented Mills. “Though the NLRB is currently closed, we hope they will open soon so we can exercise our right to vote out this unwanted union.”
West Virginia is one of the 26 states with a Right to Work law that guarantees workers cannot be fired for refusing to pay union dues or fees. However, even under Right to Work, union bosses can still impose monopoly bargaining control over all employees in a workplace, even those who are opposed to the union’s representation. A successful decertification would end the union’s monopoly bargaining powers.
The decertification petition is just the latest example in a long history of the Foundation defending the rights of West Virginia workers. For example, Foundation staff attorneys filed 10 briefs in a long-running, but ultimately unsuccessful, union boss lawsuit seeking to overturn West Virginia’s popular Right to Work law.
In the West Virginia Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling in the case upholding the Right to Work law, the justices relied heavily upon the Foundation-won Janus v. AFSCME U.S. Supreme Court decision, which established that all public employees in America enjoy Right to Work protections under the First Amendment.
“Mills and his coworkers have filed a majority-backed petition to free themselves from union officials’ so-called ‘representation,’ but ejecting an unwanted union is often far harder than it should be,” commented National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix. “Overly complex rules, including NLRB-invented ‘bars’ to decertification, contribute to the fact that a recent study found that just one in 20 employees has ever voted for the union that purports to represent them.
“The Foundation is proud to assist a growing number of workers seeking to throw off the chains of unions they oppose,” added Mix. “Ultimately, though, full worker freedom will only be accomplished when no worker anywhere can be forced under a union monopoly against their will.”
