Philadelphia Home Depot employees overwhelmingly reject unionization

Philadelphia Home Depot employees voted overwhelmingly to reject joining what would have been the first store-wide union at the hardware store.

Out of the 266 employees in the Pennsylvania store, workers voted Saturday evening 165 to 51 against being members of Home Depot Workers United, according to the local NPR outlet. This means less than 20% of the stores' employees voted in support of being in the union.

"We're happy that the associates at this store voted to continue working directly with the company," Home Depot spokesperson Margaret Smith said after the vote. "That connection is important to our culture, and we will continue listening to our associates and making The Home Depot a great place to work and grow."

Lead union organizer Vince Quiles in September filed a union election petition with 106 signatures, but it has been difficult to get support ever since. 

Organizers claimed that Home Depot's management surveilled organizers, interrogated employees and held meetings to instill concern over union costs in order to discourage unionization, the radio station said. Pro-union organizers filed a complaint in mid-October with the National Labor Relations Board.