A labor election is scheduled for tonight and Wednesday morning among more than 400 DHL employees in Wilmington who will vote whether they want to be organized for collective bargaining by the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, or neither.

The APWU filed for the election with the National Labor Relations Board in September 2006. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is a government agency that oversees union elections.

The election was set for November 2006 but was postponed by the NLRB pending an NLRB probe of an unfair labor practice complaint filed by the APWU against DHL Express.

A trial and an appeal by DHL to the NLRB in Washington, D.C., delayed today’s election.

Eligible voters include all full-time and regular part-time workers employed by DHL Express Inc. at the DHL Air Park in DHL’s Gateway, International Services, and Shipment Recovery Center departments. Excluded within those departments are all office clerical employees, maintenance employees, temporary, casual and seasonal employees, and all professional employees, guards and supervisors.

Although the ballot contains three options, one of the three choices must nonetheless receive a majority of the ballots cast to declare a winner, according to Laura Atkinson, assistant to the NLRB regional director in Cincinnati.

If none of the three choices receive a majority, a runoff election generally is conducted between the top two vote-getting options. Runoff elections, said Atkinson, usually occur “very quickly” after the inconclusive election.

In the wake of the May 28 announcement about the DHL restructuring plan, the employees eligible to vote now face the prospect of losing their job.

APWU lead field organizer Mark Dimondstein said Monday night, “What we’re focused on is the struggle to stop the DHL-UPS deal that’s the threat to the 8,000 jobs here.” He said by voting for the APWU, workers will have a stronger foundation and base to wage that fight.

“We believe DHL can restructure in such a way that protects the people of this area, the workers, the families, the communities, the taxpayers,” said Dimondstein.

The News Journal could not reach a Teamsters spokesperson Monday night before presstime.