Under state law, if organizers present valid signatures from 50%-plus one of the relevant workers, unionization is automatic.
Despite these modest benefits for workers, unionization remains illegal in government-controlled export processing zones.
Since Brave New Films launched Stop Starbucks last week, over 50,000 people watched the video, "What do Starbucks and Wal-Mart have in common?" and 15,000 signed the petition insisting CEO Howard Schultz support his workers' unionization efforts.
For two years, the board, which polices the labor laws governing unionized workers and unionization drives, has limped along with just two members, rather than its full complement of five, leaving many cases unresolved because of a 1-to-1 deadlock.
"It clearly will lead to greater interest among white-collar workers in unionization," said Jeffrey McGuiness, president of LPA, a largely anti-union association representing hundreds of corporate human resources directors.
The campaign has deployed 40 organizers since January to rally fast-food workers behind unionization, saying the goal is to raise wages to $15 an hour.
Business groups have attacked the legislation because it would take away employers' right to insist on holding a secret-ballot election to determine whether workers favored unionization.
Many child care workers favored unionization because they were dissatisfied with their pay, averaging $19,000 a year, according to a recent survey, and with the lack of health insurance and paid vacations.
Lethia Nall, one of the workers organizing the unionization drive, said the workers hoped a union would help them to achieve higher wages, job security, health benefits, annual bonuses, more flexible schedules and a more transparent disciplinary process.
Executives at etown, which has yet to make a profit, readily acknowledge that they are urging workers to vote against a union, but they deny dismissing any workers to undermine unionization efforts.
