Resolution in Support of Big Dipper Wax Works Workers Organizing

May 18, 2023

WHEREAS, The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 160 was approached by Big Dipper Wax Works employees seeking assistance with organizing a union at their place of employment, and;

WHEREAS, workers at Big Dipper Wax Works have been attempting to organize a union at this locally owned and operated Seattle, WA business for over a year and have previously faced retaliation including layoffs and verbal harassment from management, and;

WHEREAS, through organizing, workers have discovered several issues with their pay including some who make less than Seattle’s Minimum Wage, and;

WHEREAS, Big Dipper Wax Works’ owner sold a majority share of his company to a Private Equity/Venture Capital firm based out of Atlanta, Georgia, and;

WHEREAS, workers have gathered authorization cards from a supermajority of non-supervisory staff and on April 28th, 2023 filed for a union election through the NLRB, and;

WHEREAS, on May 4th, 2023, Management announced to workers that Big Dipper Wax Works will be permanently closing the factory in Seattle, WA at the end of June 2023, and;

WHEREAS, candles made at Big Dipper Wax Works are labeled “made locally in Seattle, WA” and sit on the shelves at unionized grocery stores including PCC Community Markets and Central Co-op, and;

WHEREAS, the company has now made it clear that it intends to outsource the unionizing workers’ Seattle, WA jobs to Georgia where it will enjoy cheap(er) labor with less of a threat of unionizing, and;

WHEREAS, IAM District 160 has filed Unfair Labor Practice charges against Big Dipper Wax Works for retaliating against the workers for forming a union by closing their factory and outsourcing their jobs to Georgia.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Martin Luther King (MLK) Labor Council and its affiliate members share outrage expressed by IAM District 160 and Big Dipper Wax Works workers, support their efforts as they attempt to organize a union, and;

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the MLK Labor Council will send a letter expressing concern and support to the relevant Labor Councils in Georgia where jobs are being outsourced to, PCC Community Markets, and Management at Big Dipper Wax, and will take other steps necessary and appropriate to spread the word about this injustice.