TEMP AGENCY WORKERS IN NEW JERSEY'S LOGISTICS HUB: THE CASE FOR A UNION HIRING HALL

In: Working USA: the journal of labor & society, Band 14, Heft 4, S. 499-525

Abstract

This article reports on preliminary research concerning temp agency workers in the logistics hub that serves the Port of Newark/Elizabeth. Our objective is to explore the potential for organizing temporary workers in this industry, and the viability of the hiring hall model in particular. The first section describes several aspects of the regional labor market in which temp agency workers are recruited for the inland warehouses and distribution centers. The second section explores the history and legality of hiring halls, and why this organizing model has in recent decades faded into disuse. The third section sets forth an exploratory plan for organizing the temporary workforce in New Jersey's logistics industry.