Employee-owned or union organized?

The guy who taught me drywall finish in 1979 in Missoula was a sole proprietor. Steve Hasterlik and I did the drywall finish in that Milwaukee Road Depot in Missoula. It took us two months and survived an arson attempt perpetrated by one of the investors of the building’s adaptive reuse. Kim Morris, wife of Deadwood's Jack Daniels worked for his family in high school (it's a bizarro miracle how this is connected, don't ask).

In 1981 to do the work restoring the former Milwaukee Road Clark Fork Station we had to join the painters' union. Here's a quick glance at Missoula's trade union list today.

Montana's rate for worker fatalities (10.8/100,000 workers) is more than three times the national average of 3.3/100,000, says a press release printed in the Montana Standard. This from the Billings Gazette:

Wyoming’s workplace fatality rate improved from the worst in the nation — 17 fatalities per 100,000 workers in 2007 — to fourth worst in 2009, according to an AFL-CIO report, passing the “worst” distinction to Montana, Louisiana and North Dakota, where many drilling rigs migrated during the same period. But before Wyoming leaders and employers claim victory over such a poor past performance, safety officials are warning that workplace fatalities could spike again when drilling and construction activity returns to Wyoming. Last week, an iWatch investigative report, “‘Model Workplaces’ Not Always Safe,” found that many companies across the nation that are enrolled in state-level Voluntary Protection Programs enjoy the benefit of fewer inspections but still were guilty of serious safety violations — many resulting in the death of workers.

A coal mine in Campbell County, Wyoming is a defendant in a case led by Spence Law Firm (an underwriter of Wyoming Public Radio):

The Spence Law Firm, working in association with the Michaels and Michaels law firm in Gillette, Wyoming, has filed a complaint against Wyoming corporation Western Fuels-Wyoming, Inc., (owner and operator of the Dry Fork Mine) and two of its employees. Negligence claims and other counts are also being brought against the mine employer, which fired Shawn Cunningham the day after he filed for Wyoming workers compensation benefits, in violation of public policy.

From WyoFile:

UnlikeWyoming’s coal mining industry, oil and gas companies work without borders and they do it without a clear set of safety ground-rules or certifications that are transferable from one drilling location to the next. “You can build all the policies you want, but if you don’t hold employees accountable for their actions,” the policies have little effect, said Denny Gladwin of Halliburton Services. “The legislature is very much a part of the Tea Party movement, and that’s good,” said Dallas Scholes of Williams Production RMT, who serves on WOGISA’s legislative committee.

An extensive piece written by David Murray in the Great Falls Tribune intersected with how insurance and perks provided by employers evolved to replace union benefits: Montana is likely representative of Mountain West states where workers' rights have been sacrificed to employers' profits. Here's a splice:

According to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, organized labor was at its height in Montana during the 1950s. In the first decades after World War II, there were roughly 240 union locals across the state, the largest and most powerful of which belonged to the United Mine Workers of America, the Railroad Brotherhoods or the United Steel Workers, which beginning in the mid-50s oversaw labor negotiations for Montana’s metal miners, smelter men and mill workers. Today, the face of organized labor is vastly different. Figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that in 2011, only 13 percent of Montana workers belonged to a union. Of those, 45 percent were women, and the largest unions in the state are the Montana Education Association-Montana Federation of Teachers, the Montana Public Employees Association and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Comes this from Sara Horowitz, the founder of Freelancers Union, a nonprofit organization representing the interests and concerns of the independent workforce. She writes in The Atlantic:

Collective economic power enabled workers to focus on their full lives, not just what they did on the shop-room floor. In Amalgamated housing complexes, arts programs, summer camps, and citizenship classes thrived. Through their collective efforts, workers realized they could build something greater than themselves. This isn't just a dream for young do-gooders. Countless experienced actuaries, lawyers, and accountants are yearning for a way to use their business acumen to rebuild the nation's middle class. A union movement focused on creating sustainable, revenue-generating institutions could provide a platform to serve the social good and the bottom line.

Pacific Steel and Recycling, based in Great Falls, is 100 percent owned by its employees. In May of this year, CEO Jeff Millhollin wrote in the Billings Gazette:

Consider one study from Georgetown University, which found that so-called S corporation Employee Stock Ownership Plans (S ESOPs) have demonstrated a striking resilience — growing and hiring new workers during the recession, though their counterparts had been shrinking. While overall U.S. private employment in 2008 fell by 2.8 percent, employment in S ESOP companies rose by nearly 2 percent. This kind of motivation and work ethic translates to a stronger bottom line. Recognizing that employee ownership is proving successful in Montana and across the country, a bill has been introduced in the U.S. House and Senate to help eliminate barriers that exist for companies that want to become employee-owned. The Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act represents meaningful action to help American businesses thrive and their workers to retire with dignity.

Note sponsorship includes Reps. Kristi Noem, Denny Rehberg and Todd Akin.

Elkton's Twin City Fan is employee-owned as is grocer Hy-Vee.