Union Alleges Retaliation By Manpower After Mass Layoffs During Negotiations

Manpower Headquarters. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

A local union is alleging ManpowerGroup laid off their members in retaliation for organizing a union and attempting to negotiate a contract.

Nearly two dozen employees of Experis Game Solutions — a video game testing company and a subsidiary of ManpowerGroup — are being laid off and their worksite moved to another state as their union is in the middle of negotiation its first contract, according to a statement from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 10. The mass layoff follows layoffs of eight employees that occurred in the wake of the workers union victory, according to IAM.

“The decision to close the Milwaukee location is the culmination of a string of retaliatory actions that Manpower has taken since the workers voted 35-4 in favor of unionizing with District 10 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in October of 2023,” IAM said in the statement released Tuesday.

Beginning in February this year, IAM filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) alleging ManpowerGroup used captive audience meetings to stymie workers organizing before the union election. Since then, Manpower has allegedly retaliated by freezing all hiring, promotions, and pay increases. Workers planned to negotiate for better pay, as that was an issue they organized around.

The union has filed additional charges alleging Manpower violated federal labor law by closing the Milwaukee job site down and laying off workers.

“We have always said that we respect the right of our consultants to make their own decisions regarding union representation,” Manpower said in a statement to Urban Milwaukee. “Since early this year, we have been meeting with and bargaining in good faith with the IAM and we strongly refute any claims that we have committed unfair labor practices. “

The layoffs come as a surprise to the workers, according to the union. Last year workers were given to understand their worksite would be expanded. “Manpower job recruiters encouraged workers from as far away as Louisiana and Nevada to relocate to Milwaukee for the test associate jobs that are now disappearing,” IAM said.

“As a provider of flexible workforce solutions, our services must be agile to best support client needs,” Manpower said. “Due to changing demands in the fast-moving gaming sector and overall performance of the location, we have made the decision to close the Experis Game Solution location in Milwaukee.”

Workers went public with their unionization campaign less than a year ago, in October 2023. Two months later the union won an NLRB election.

IAM represents more than 600,000 workers in a number of industries across North America including aerospace, transportation, manufacturing, shipbuilding, woodworking. The union also represents security guards at the Milwaukee Art Museum, who successfully organized in 2020.

ManpowerGroup is headquartered on the northern edge of downtown Milwaukee. The publicly-traded company has a market cap of approximately $3.5 billion and offices across the globe. Its latest 10-K annual filing says the company has 27,900 employees.

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