[GMAN]

Volkswagen employees in Chattanooga, Tennessee voted against the United Auto Workers to represent them. Fifty three percent of the employees voted against unionization at the VW plant. The UAW pulled out all the stops to organize this plant. They even sent out a letter to employees that stated that Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, supported unionization. A couple of days ago he held a press conference where he informed the workers and media that he did NOT support VW organizing. The UAW lied to workers to get them to vote in the union. It is a major blow to the troubled union that has suffered losses due to plant closings in the U.S.

Personally, I am glad that the workers decided to not organize. It would have caused harm to the local economy had the UAW been successful. It was thought that had the UAW been able to break into the south that other auto manufacturing plants would likely be more willing to organize. The south has never been a strong union area. Southerners are just too independent thinking, I suppose. I am proud of these workers who voted against the UAW.

[Roadhog]

awah… the Unions won't get to destroy your state economy like they have in Michigan, and devastate your Cities and leave them in ruin.

Seems like we are stuck with 47% who are going to vote for socialism/communism no matter what. Time for a reset.

here was a union organized parade held in front of the Tennessee VW Plant.
You can see Socialist Germany ( Doooche'Land ) heavily influenced this whole event.

I'm glad they are stuck in a right to work state. hahahaha

[Mr. Ford95]

Here's the thing, VW was tacitly supporting unionization. In Germany it is required by the govt. to have a type of union for the employees to deal with management. This type of union is a little different from what we have with the UAW. They have a worker council but in the US they must be represented by a union group to form a council. It was said that more than 50% of the workers responded on a survey that they were interested in unionization so they had to hold a vote at that point. Several workers who voted against the union said that VW has been a great employer to them and saw no need to bring in an outside group to represent them.

[GMAN]

They are still talking about some sort of works council at the Chattanooga plant. The regional union representative said that they were not giving up on organizing. Tennessee has a fairly robust economy. It would be a shame to have the unions destroy it. The UAW said something about outside influences in changing the views of VW employees. They may try to use that as an excuse to have another election or do something else. I don't think it would be advisable. Some of the anti union workers were pretty vocal about not organizing. One woman that was interviewed said she was for the union until she looked into their history. She found out about the real background of what happens when unions get involved in the work place. She mentioned that the workers currently have a good working relationship with management. She said that if that there is a history of confrontation between workers and the company once the UAW got involved. The UAW made press releases during the election that stated the union was a slam dunk. If you believed their rhetoric you would have thought that voting was merely a formality. Thankfully, the majority saw through them.

Some years ago, there were several large employers in Chattanooga that were union. Combustion Engineering was the largest and employed as many as about 5,000 employees at one time. Wheland Foundry was another union company. They made approximately 90% of the wheels for the auto industry. US Pipe was also union and employed a lot of people. There is nothing be vacant property on what was a large US Pipe manufacturing facility. It is on I-24 on the west side of Chattanooga. All of these companies are gone. Chattanooga also foundered steel and had a lot of other industries at one time. There is now a football stadium on part of the property where some of the steel was foundered. Chattanooga is poised to regain much expansion and business development if we can keep the unions out of our business.

[Mr. Ford95]

VW has a pretty good working relationship with their workers, unions and council's elsewhere in the world. To form a council though they must allow a union to be voted in per US law. The problem I see with the UAW is that a lot of people have seen what took place with the Big 3 and UAW already. How much you want to bet that some of these workers who are so gung-ho on bringing in the UAW are former or current UAW members who previously held jobs with the Big 3? As long as your taking care of your workers they should never have a need to go union and it sure sounds like VW is doing that. VW wants them to unionize though without coming right out and saying it because HQ in Germany is trying to stay in line with German law also. The UAW may want them to unionize and are seeing some nice $$$$$ but the way VW has it set up, I'm surprised the UAW is trying so hard in Chattanooga. Sounds like the UAW would not be able to weld the same influence over VW like they did with the Big 3 for so many years. Same with Mercedes in 'Bama, another German company following German laws but the UAW is trying hard to get in there too. Why not push harder on Japanese based Nissan in Mississippi? Or Kia which is Korean based being built in Bama I think? Or Toyota or Honda........

[Roadhog]

Originally Posted by Mr. Ford95

Here's the thing, VW was tacitly supporting unionization. In Germany it is required by the govt. to have a type of union for the employees to deal with management. This type of union is a little different from what we have with the UAW. They have a worker council but in the US they must be represented by a union group to form a council. It was said that more than 50% of the workers responded on a survey that they were interested in unionization so they had to hold a vote at that point. Several workers who voted against the union said that VW has been a great employer to them and saw no need to bring in an outside group to represent them.

that's the problem then, if people can't improve their business unless a union is involved.
Our Labor laws need to be changed, and no doubt as cozy as govt. has been with unions, there are plenty of laws that should be looked at.

[GMAN]

Originally Posted by Mr. Ford95

VW has a pretty good working relationship with their workers, unions and council's elsewhere in the world. To form a council though they must allow a union to be voted in per US law. The problem I see with the UAW is that a lot of people have seen what took place with the Big 3 and UAW already. How much you want to bet that some of these workers who are so gung-ho on bringing in the UAW are former or current UAW members who previously held jobs with the Big 3? As long as your taking care of your workers they should never have a need to go union and it sure sounds like VW is doing that. VW wants them to unionize though without coming right out and saying it because HQ in Germany is trying to stay in line with German law also. The UAW may want them to unionize and are seeing some nice $$$$$ but the way VW has it set up, I'm surprised the UAW is trying so hard in Chattanooga. Sounds like the UAW would not be able to weld the same influence over VW like they did with the Big 3 for so many years. Same with Mercedes in 'Bama, another German company following German laws but the UAW is trying hard to get in there too. Why not push harder on Japanese based Nissan in Mississippi? Or Kia which is Korean based being built in Bama I think? Or Toyota or Honda........

I would almost bet money that some of the gung ho employees once worked for the big three. In a way I am surprised that the vote was even as close as it was. Of course, in a presidential election a 53% margin of victory would be seen as a landslide. The UAW did try to organize Nissan in Tennessee. They lost 2 to 1. Nissan is located in Smyrna, TN. That is about 40 miles from Nashville.

VW did seem a little too eager to bring in the union. I thought it must have been more for PR than a real desire to deal with the unions. VW has work councils similar to those in Germany and other locations.

Other than the usual rhetoric from the pro union people, everyone that I have heard discuss the company says that they have a good working relationship with management and are well treated. I think that Mercedes in Alabama is their next target. As I said, for the most part southerners don't care much for unions.

[Mr. Ford95]

Mercedes has been keeping the UAW away for the last year or so at the plant just outside Tuscaloosa. They will do the same thing VW is doing because they are German based and fall under the same laws as VW but they do not want that union to be the UAW that comes in.

They need to look at the area they are going into in order to unionize, the UAW that is. Go to Ole Miss, better chance down there if you sweet talk them about even higher wages. Ole Miss has the lowest median income in the entire country. I'm certain Nissan and others are paying a little bit higher than other businesses in the state as is but the UAW stands a better chance at making in roads down there, NOT near Nashville. Chattanooga is the same way, they are going through a revitalization there, wages are creeping up some. VW comes into the 'Nooga and gives their employees better than average pay and nice perks........UAW had a very slim chance there.

VW HAS to bring in a union in order to form their work council at their first US plant by US law. VW never publicly showed support for a union to come in but they also did very little to rebuff it. They have work councils at every plant around the rest of the world except this one in 'Nooga because German law says they must setup a work council. In the end they will go union, this is just the first salvo, it may not be the UAW that gets in but a union will be there in 'Nooga.

Hog, yes, correct. If employers can keep their workers happy and safe then a union is never needed. Right now our labor laws allow a lot of flexibility to employers in how they choose to run their business. We the employees do have OSHA for our safety but that's only good IF OSHA comes around BEFORE an accident happens and snopes around. We do have a minimum wage law that keeps you and me from only making $2 an hour like the folks in India make because there are business owners and employers out there who would not bat an eye at only paying us $2 an hour. As for the minimum wage hike fight, that's for another thread. The labor laws should be looked at, when were they last updated or overhauled?

[GMAN]

I hope unions don't get a foothold in Chattanooga or any other southern auto plant. I would prefer unions to be outlawed completely. They have always been controlled by organized crime.

[Mr. Ford95]

Isn't that quite a stretch GMAN? To say that unions have always been controlled by the mafia? Some may have been like the Teamsters but the UAW has not been.