Workers at Tennessee Volkswagen factory reject United Auto Workers union

The United Autoworkers Union has failed in an attempt to unionize the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee.

The effort was supposed to be a slam dunk, but.

Kind of a close vote at 712 - 626 but still a substantial "NO" margin.

Some experts say this is "devastating".

Now what?

Workers at Tennessee Volkswagen factory reject United Auto Workers union

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Workers at a Volkswagen factory in Tennessee have voted against union representation, a devastating loss that derails the United Auto Workers union's effort to organize Southern factories.

The 712-626 vote released late Friday stunned many labor experts who expected a UAW win because Volkswagen tacitly endorsed the union and even allowed organizers into the Chattanooga factory to make sales pitches.

Good for them! If they want to go union they should do it themselves, the last thing they need is some bloated beaurocracy with its hand in their pockets.

reply to post by abe froman


Could it be they see what's happening. I hope so.

Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. C. S. Lewis

It's really no surprise that the workers would vote the union down. Most of the companies from places like Germany and Japan pay their employees a good wage and provide good benefits. They do this because it's what they do at home and a happy worker is a good worker. Many companies in America could learn a lesson from companies that move here.

reply to post by Maluhia


[email protected].

reply to post by buster2010


Companies in America go to other countries because they cant legally treat US workers as bad as they'd like to. yet.

abe froman
reply to post by buster2010

 

Companies in America go to other countries because they cant legally treat US workers as bad as they'd like to. yet.

You are right the owners of many companies would love for workers rights to disappear here in America.

reply to post by buster2010


Sorry to go off topic, but whenever I see your avatar this is what comes to mind...




Carry on!

reply to post by xuenchen


I find that quiet suprising, not the wisest thing in comming climes. Mind you, the Unions are a good cop/bad cop, two way tool of the Government anyhow ( but we aren't to know that, so sssshhhh). I wrote the below in a reply to your first thread on this subject.


Unions, jobs, and wages will be at the forefront of everything this year. Unions will swell and become strong. There will be scandals to discredit them and shut them down. Verbally you will hear of a push to increase wages . The reality is wages will drop significantly. US wages will drop due to imigration. Australian wages will drop to compete with work for the dole. More jobs will off shore with the TPP. By November both Countries will both have Australian and American Springs. Violence is comming.

reply to post by xuenchen


The vote was close. I wonder if these threats pushed them over:

"After 53 percent of the workers voted against his union, King said he was outraged at what he called "outside interference" in the election. He wouldn't rule out challenging the outcome with the National Labor Relations Board. "It's never happened in this country before that the U.S. senator, the governor, the leader of the House, the legislature here, threatened the company with no incentives, threatened workers with a loss of product," King said. "We'll look at all our options in the next few days."

;The union could contend that Corker and other local politicians were in collusion with VW and tried to frighten workers into thinking the SUV would be built in Mexico if they voted for the union, said Gary Chaison, a labor relations professor at Clark University in Worcester, Mass."

reply to post by MOMof3


Yes makes one wonder indeed.

How many votes were influenced in your assessment?

It seems it was big government influences vs. big union influences.

Maybe the influences were a "wash"?

Watch for the "stories" and "testimonials" to be published soon.

UAW has commented that if they failed they were done. They could not continue to operate without winning this. Maybe they will simply have to give less kickbacks ..er .. donations .. to the Democrats.

buster2010
It's really no surprise that the workers would vote the union down. Most of the companies from places like Germany and Japan pay their employees a good wage and provide good benefits. They do this because it's what they do at home and a happy worker is a good worker. Many companies in America could learn a lesson from companies that move here.

You mean like Boeing paying the NON UNION workers in SC equally vs. the unionized plants?

MOMof3
reply to post by xuenchen

 

The vote was close. I wonder if these threats pushed them over:

"After 53 percent of the workers voted against his union, King said he was outraged at what he called "outside interference" in the election. He wouldn't rule out challenging the outcome with the National Labor Relations Board. "It's never happened in this country before that the U.S. senator, the governor, the leader of the House, the legislature here, threatened the company with no incentives, threatened workers with a loss of product," King said. "We'll look at all our options in the next few days."

;The union could contend that Corker and other local politicians were in collusion with VW and tried to frighten workers into thinking the SUV would be built in Mexico if they voted for the union, said Gary Chaison, a labor relations professor at Clark University in Worcester, Mass."

Yeah and that is stupid BS rhetoric since VW is the one who INVITED the union there and VW wanted the plant unionized. They want them to be part of a works council, and pro union laws make it illegal to join a works council unless you join a union. It's a crappy law designed to protect unions, not workers.

OccamsRazor04

buster2010
It's really no surprise that the workers would vote the union down. Most of the companies from places like Germany and Japan pay their employees a good wage and provide good benefits. They do this because it's what they do at home and a happy worker is a good worker. Many companies in America could learn a lesson from companies that move here.

You mean like Boeing paying the NON UNION workers in SC equally vs. the unionized plants?

Would you be talking about the Boeing that has huge government contracts? And for your information Boeing pays nonunion employees up to 200 bucks a week less than union employees.
Boeings wage slashing

The cost savings associated with moving to South Carolina, where workers are paid nearly half of what workers in the Everett, WA plant make, are now for naught. The Everett plant will be counted on to make up the difference.

reply to post by xuenchen


I don't believe in coincidences, that is why I like conspiracy theories. My theory is, at the start of this VW did not care one way or the other because they are use to mgt/employee work associations. I think Corker and the governor did "Jersey" style politics with the company in veiled threats and scared everyone. I have no proof but I trust my instincts.

Sounds like to me someone's in a dire need of a diaper change and a pacifier. The guy doesn't seem to get that what this boils down to is that in the end, these employees didn't want to join the Union club & he's coming off as having a tantrum over losing that vote. That's uncouth.

buster2010

OccamsRazor04

buster2010
It's really no surprise that the workers would vote the union down. Most of the companies from places like Germany and Japan pay their employees a good wage and provide good benefits. They do this because it's what they do at home and a happy worker is a good worker. Many companies in America could learn a lesson from companies that move here.

You mean like Boeing paying the NON UNION workers in SC equally vs. the unionized plants?

Would you be talking about the Boeing that has huge government contracts? And for your information Boeing pays nonunion employees up to 200 bucks a week less than union employees.
Boeings wage slashing

The cost savings associated with moving to South Carolina, where workers are paid nearly half of what workers in the Everett, WA plant make, are now for naught. The Everett plant will be counted on to make up the difference.

edit on 15-2-2014 by buster2010 because: (no reason given)

Your link gives no figures, how about you actually provide some links that do.

Comparable pay would be about 88% of what they make in Wa. Working in healthcare non-unionized nurses make the same (with cost of living adjustment) in SC as unionized nurses do up north.