VAN ALSTYNE, Texas – On Friday, dozens of workers at Grayson Collin Electric Cooperative (GCEC), just north of Dallas, will vote on whether or not to unionize with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union 220, marking a major milestone in their effort to improve working conditions and secure a stronger collective voice on the job.

“This is about the workers and their right to make their own decision,” said Josh Worthey, business manager of IBEW Local Union 220. “Union-busting is illegal, and workers deserve to vote on whether to unionize without pressure or interference.”

All full-time and part time apprentices and linemen at GCEC, totaling 40 workers, will be voting on whether to unionize. These workers serve electric customers in McKinney, Sherman, Denison, Whitesboro, and surrounding areas.

GCEC executive salaries have grown 505% since 2013, all while executives blame the weather for higher customer bills. Now, the company has hired a union-busting consultant with presumably rate-payer funds to try to thwart employees’ union election.  

BACKGROUND:

• Early February 2026: Initial Outreach
  Workers at Grayson Collin Electric Cooperative reached out to IBEW Local Union 220 to explore the possibility of unionizing. Shortly thereafter, IBEW union representatives met with employees to discuss workplace concerns and outline the unionization process.
  
• Feb. 16: Initial Meeting
  A meeting on Feb. 16 brought together a large number of employees with IBEW representatives and organizers. During the meeting, attendees received detailed information about the union process, discussed workplace issues, and reviewed potential responses from management. Following these discussions, an overwhelming majority of workers agreed to move forward with unionization.
  
• Feb. 17: Union Election Petition Filed
  An election petition was filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Feb. 17 (Case Number: 16-RC-381285) and formally served to the company. A stipulated election agreement was signed on Feb. 24, setting the official election date for Mar. 27.
  
• Mid-February: Union-Busting Begins
  In response, Grayson Collin Electric Cooperative launched an aggressive anti-union campaign. This effort has included multiple employee meetings described as “voluntary,” but widely understood by workers to be expected, as well as one-on-one discussions discouraging union support.
  
  • The company has also hired a professional union avoidance consultant—commonly referred to as a “union buster,” named Arthur Wentworth, and is reportedly spending approximately $4,000 per day plus expenses on these efforts. Workers report that this consultant has been accompanying employees in work vehicles during work hours on a daily basis, creating situations where employees are subjected to repeated anti-union messaging while on the job and unable to disengage.
    
• Workers also report that the company has disseminated misleading information regarding a routine U.S. Department of Labor audit (Case Number: 420-6030845) in an apparent attempt to discredit the union. The audit, dated Aug. 8, 2025, was limited in scope and identified recordkeeping issues—not misuse of funds. No enforcement action was taken, and IBEW Local 220 has addressed the documentation items that were identified.
  
• Additionally, certain employees have allegedly been encouraged to openly disparage the union in the workplace.
  
• Mar. 2: Unionizing Meeting
  During a meeting with IBEW, employees raised concerns about potential surveillance while they were on call. These concerns were later substantiated when a worker was informed that the company was aware of who attended the meeting and expressed dissatisfaction. Reports of employee interrogation have also emerged.
  

Despite these challenges, workers remain committed to exercising their rights and participating in the upcoming election. Reports indicate that the company’s anti-union efforts have continued in the lead-up to the vote.

The election will be held on Friday, Mar. 27.