VW workers may block southern U.S. deals if no unions: labor chief

[onehandle]

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - Volkswagen's top labor representative threatened on Wednesday to try to block further investments by the German carmaker in the southern United States if its workers there are not unionized.

Workers at VW's factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, last Friday voted against representation by the United Auto Workers union (UAW), rejecting efforts by VW representatives to set up a German-style works council at the plant.

German workers enjoy considerable influence over company decisions under the legally enshrined "co-determination" principle which is anathema to many politicians in the U.S. who see organized labor as a threat to profits and job growth.

Chattanooga is VW's only factory in the U.S. and one of the company's few in the world without a works council.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/19/us-vw-usplant-idUSBREA1I0S820140219

[mtasselin]

1. Hugh

This is bigger than huge, how will the right wing nut jobs handle this. The workers in America will now have a fighting chance.

[pampango]

7. Global labor working together - even to a limited extent - has got to be a scary thought

to the "right wing nut jobs" out there.

[SunSeeker]

27. Indeed.

In this age of multinational corporations and outsourcing, workers unions must be multinational too. I see no reason why these workers can't start an American chapter of the VW union. Make it a 501c3!

Although merely a threat at this point, it must send a chill through every oligarch.

[cprise]

68. A big problem here is these TN VW workers

...don't seem to understand the co-determination concept. Or have I misunderstood the recent news?

[Blue_Tires]

69. I think a lot of them still have that old stereotype of union workers

being unwitting pawns of the mafia or the Soviet Union or something...

[cprise]

70. The thing is, the VW union has power on the board

These US workers think they only have to cozy-up to a CEO--a guy sitting in an office. They're not thinking in terms of the Union influencing where VW takes it business.

That's why US unions are inferior. They don't have boardroom power and don't become engaged in the profitability of the company... they just negotiate with management and strike against management because they are *structurally* bounded to an adversarial role.

tl;dr... If you're stalwart anti-union, ultimately you're anti-VW and the company may prefer to employ people who are more civil.

[Blue_Tires]

71. Yeah, you'd think they would "get it"

But after pretty much three straight decades of anti-union propaganda, who knows what's going on in their heads??

[SunSeeker]

73. There's a LOT the TN VW workers who voted "no" don't understand. nt

[lobodons]

10. How dare those European Socialists

Anti-Union Rightwing nutjobs will cry, "How dare those European Socialists interfere with American Capitalism!!"

[pangaia]

13. They will say somethihg like...

'Foreign' companies threatening to control America, bullying our business practices.

[Hestia]

2. Hell yeah - thank you Work Councils in determining that those tax breaks to

VW just might not be worth the cost in the long run due to their fellow employees not being represented as they are in the rest of the world. What's that saying...oh yeah, cutting off your nose to spite your face...not that the republicans will understand that.

[madrchsod]

3. i was wondering when the germans were going to weigh in on this issue.

maybe the germans will be forced to move their new plant to mexico.

i`m sure there will be no objection from any mexican official over unionizing.

[pampango]

6. If VW wants 'work councils', I would suggest they move a non-"right-to-work" state (like Ohio)

rather than to Mexico. VW is already paying 'union wages' in Tennessee. They can continue to do that in Ohio and have 'work councils', too. How would Mexico be an improvement for VW over a RTW, anti-union state like Tennessee?

[SnowCritter]

15. I was thinking the same thing

I'm sure we could find a spot for their plant and workers to staff it here in Minnesota.

[ChazInAz]

37. Or Tucson

[putitinD]

64. Detroit has a few closed plants available. Unions are welcome here!

[MannyGoldstein]

4. This is a #%^*ing riot

Awesome!

[unionguy]

5. Move it back to SW Pa.

The VW plant was in Pa back in the 80's, about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh. They moved out after their tax breaks ran out. I don't think there would be a problem unionizing around here. The plant is still there, Sony bought it, now they moved out, and its just a storage and shipping facility. I'm sure the building trades can convert it back no problem. I worked construction in that building for a few years when VW and Sony both moved in.

[Ikonoklast]

22. That closing had everything to do with declining market share of VW in this country.

New Stanton was only producing 60K vehicles in a plant designed to put out 200K a year.

VW's market share was declining and they didn't know how to stop it, they kept building cars designed for the German market and just expected them to sell here, whereas the Japanese manufacturers were designing cars specifically designed for the North American market.


The Japanese auto manufacturers were gaining market share against all comers, and at the expense of all other auto manufacturers .

It was VW's management mis-steps that killed that plant, it had nothing to do with tax abatements ending.

[SunSeeker]

29. All the more reason they need the voice of their American workers.

Their American works council could have told them what sells in the US. VW should be making fuel efficient updated versions of the VW microbus (i.e. a suv hybrid) and pick ups, with an emphasis on reliability/German engineering.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

40. I had two of their cars, a Rabbit and a Jetta ...

… both from the Westmoreland plant in PA. Well designed, solidly built. Always liked VWs.

[unionguy]

42. It don't matter what the excuse was, they moved out just as the 10 year tax breaks were up.

Coincidence, maybe, but it happened just the same. Wages were not to bad at the time, considering. I live 10 miles from there, knew a lot of people who worked there, including relatives. They moved the equipment and those managers some where else. Some place where they got cheaper wages and more tax breaks. They were running 2 shifts and talking about a 3rd when they pulled the rug out from under their workers. I give them a little credit ,they at least made retraining available to those workers who wanted it. More than Sony did. Sony took over the building and did basically the same thing. They moved the lines that were in there to Mexico. Call it declining market share, globalization, or what have you, I call it greed. The basic problem with the majority of large corporations these days with a few exceptions.

[cui bono]

44. Welcome to DU unionguy!

[LuvNewcastle]

8. Good.

I'm in the South, and I'm tired of seeing ignorant people ruin chances for unionization down here. It's been going on way too long. Southern states act like the Chinese sometimes, giving away all sorts of perks to companies and giving them the promise that they'll help keep wages low by killing unions. It isn't fair for the southern states to have plants relocated from other states, taking away their good unionized jobs. The government should have stopped that shit a long time ago.

[Sam1]

26. The government should have stopped that shit a long time ago.

However, it is the 1% that bought the government not the 99%. It should be noticed that the American middle class rose and fell with the unions.

[Tsiyu]

35. They get screamed at a lot in church down here

so the working man, the family guy, the man's man who only wants to be good and normal and play by the rules, he thinks he is a worthless piece of shit who doesn't deserve much more than to break his body down to bits with no pension or health care to cushion the disintegration.

"You will burn in hell! All are sinners!" The preachers work themselves up into apoplexy guilt-tripping and frothing hellfire and damnation at the congregants. So they like to suffer.

Makes you wonder about that whole "South will rise again" concept. If you are too afraid to ask for benefits from your employer, you might be too incompetent to take on the US Gubbmint.

But Jesus loves you and wants you to die penniless and disease-ridden and for you to be a burden on your children.

[LuvNewcastle]

39. That's exactly how it is.

And a lot of assholes down here think that the southern way of doing things is so great that it should be exported all over the country. That's how we saw the rise of Wal-Mart and their way of doing things. They want to run the whole country like a goddamn plantation. The whole country needs to say fuck that.

[merrily]

60. That is because the GOP and pastors have an unholy alliance.

[King_Klonopin]

62. And that line of reasoning is totally perverted.

It's not even "Bible-Based", as they like to say.

Every quote that was ever made by Jesus regarding laborers and wages
was said in their defense and condemned the wealthy who sought to
screw them. The only time he got angry was with the money changers,
who are today's bankers and "payday" loan scammers.

[Tsiyu]

66. You would be preaching to the choir right there

Unfortunately, FOX news has them when the preacher doesn't, so they are being doubly exhorted to degrade their bodies to the benefit of the 1%.

Poor Southern conservatives vote for the interests of the 1% more than the 1% probably take the time to do. A lot of "foreign money" goes into candidates in TN, because Big Money knows Tennesseans will vote against themselves EVERY TIME if you give them some real believable commercials, and say something about God and family and have yer mama telling the viewing audience what a good boy you were in Sunday School.

I'm not trying to be mean. They just don't care about exploring an issue beyond what FOX and the bible have to say about it.

When you make your moral decisions based on someone screaming at you and telling you how worthless you are, it's easy to base your political choices on one of O'Reilly's nebulous, sad little rants.

There's no perversion involved in reporting that. There may be a perversion in not throwing the topic out there to discuss. Southerners do not care enough about themselves to take care of themselves - beyond buying more ammunition - and cost the federal government plenty in assistance to their Southern states.

Why is that the case, in the Bobble Belt? Now there' the perversion.

[lostincalifornia]

9. but, but, corker promised we would get new lines if the deal was rejected

[Stellar]

11. Damned Republicans can't get anything done unless

it involves cheating.

[DontTreadOnMe]

12. Move it to Detroit!

Give them a tax break to move... where is the UAW on this! Where is every DEM governor on this... give an incentive to move the plant from Tennessee.

Can we heard some Democratic Leaders on this issue???!!!! Opportunity is knocking...

[pangaia]

14. Democratic leaders? Was' at?

[kenfrequed]

16. I agree they should move

But I find "tax incentives" are about the stupidest idea anyone ever came up with to motivate business.

[DontTreadOnMe]

19. It depends... places like Detroit have empty space no producing any tax revenue

Bring in Volkswagen, give then a 10-year deal of no state taxes... and then Detroit benefits on the 11th year.

I am not for race to the bottom, give corporations free tax deals. It has to be special determined "enterprise zones" that need new business.

[JDPriestly]

17. I don't know whether the German unions are threatening in this way, but it would make sense

if they did. The lack of unions and the protections unions provide to workers in the US undermines the union movement across the world. If the US competes by lowering working conditions in the workplace, then other countries will follow suit, and before you know it, there are no unions around the world. That is the scenario and outcome that the conglomerates are hoping for. They think they will get the anti-union foothold in underdeveloped countries and then in the US and then around the entire world.

This is an important example, an important precedent for the entire world. All union eyes should be on VW and Chattanooga.

But my question is whether workers in a VW plant in Mexico would be union labor. Does anyone know about the strength of the union movement in Mexico?

Of course, my statement assumes that the story in the OP is true, and I'm not sure of that.
As I have explained, it certainly makes sense.

The trade union movement in Germany can be traced back to the guilds in the Middle Ages. The movement is strong in Germany. Unions are important everywhere in terms of training workers and helping to establish standards for skill and work. Unions are important.

[OldEurope]

28. In my favourite newspaper...

... I read that Chattanooga is indeed the only VW plant in the world without a worker's council. So I think there must be sort of a union in a Mexican VW plant.

[Lost_Count]

18. Is it a threat against future growth or the plant/workers that are in place now or both?

[Kingofalldems]

30. Say again?

[bkanderson76]

20. Shove That Steering Shaft Up Bob Corker's Ass VW....Stand Up Chattanooga

[mountain grammy]

21. Now where did Germany learn to be so loyal and protective towards workers?

Was this a result of their country going completely crazy, waging war and genocide and being ruled and participating in one of the most brutal, oppressive, and murderous governments in modern history?
I've always found it amazing how Germans have risen above their darkest days and become a true socialist and successful capitalist nation with protections for workers and some of the best health care in the world. Half their energy comes from solar and so many of our hate talking American politicians would be told such "Nazi talk" isn't allowed there.

I only hope America won't have to reach the depths of destruction before we can take a place in the world where workers are free and respected for their contributions to society. We are so far away from that goal, and this fiasco in Tennessee shows the world just how far our stupid and malicious elected politicians will go to keep their fine Southern tradition of slavery, oops, working poor.

[saidsimplesimon]

25. mountain grammy, the only thing I can add

Why did the UAW fail to create a plan and implement a winning strategy? This was a golden opportunity that failed to reach its potential.

[mountain grammy]

47. I'm struggling with that too. I've had interactions with the UAW and sometimes

their leadership leaves me at a loss. I know those organizers on the ground eat, sleep and breath union. My experiences with grass roots union organizers have always been positive and even inspiring.
If the UAW leadership was blind sided by this Corker asshole, they are asleep at the wheel and let down their membership. Try again and do it right this time.

[JoeyT]

33. I suspect they learned a politician wanting

to outlaw trade unions is generally a bad warning sign. A lesson we apparently won't learn until shit's on fire.

[Diclotican]

23. onehandle

onehandle

This is indeed a huge deal - and a blow to them who want to make sure no unions are represented in the US..

It is somewhat of a historic irony - that US is now so anti-union as it is - back in the day - in the ruins of World War two in germany - in 1948 when WV was restarted building cars - the US military government did made sure that WV was represented by unions - to make sure Germany was never to backtrack to "old habits" in the future - the "working councils" and the repentants for unions in most german industry, was indeed the brainchild of the US occupying forces in what become West Germany - mostly because unions had ben repressed harshly in the past - WV had one of the worst track records when it come to unions in the "old regime" - and as a result americans deiced that it would be vice to make sure workers was represent at the table when huge decisions was made in VW...

Today it is the other way around - most german industry have unions who work rather well with the "Owners" in the US, the fear of unions and the laws forbidding union workers in many states is like looking true the looking Glass back in the times when the germans was afraid of the unions - and disbanded the unions as fast as they could when Hitler got into power in 1933..

Diclotican

[pampango]

31. Well said, Diclotican.

... most german industry have unions who work rather well with the "Owners". In the US, the fear of unions and the laws forbidding union workers in many states is like looking through the looking Glass back in the times when the germans was afraid of the unions - and disbanded the unions as fast as they could when Hitler got into power in 1933.

Putting the current all-too-common American antipathy towards unions into the historical context of Germany is very instructive.

[Diclotican]

34. pampango

pampango

I would say, it is ironic, that back in the days - in the late 1940s the US forces decide it would be a nice idea to have trade unions into the hall of powers - to make sure Germany was never to do the same thing they did in the 1930s and 1940s - back then trade Unions was seen as the only way to make sure peace to endure - and it was also a tool to make sure the influence from the soviet side of the border was not to powerfull.... Trade unions was seen as one of the steeping blocks to make sure a democracy finally could be made in Germany before it was somewhat of a joke to call Germany a democracy - even though they had the Wiemar-Republic for better and worse...

When it comes to trade unions in the US, from my perspective it is just weird that represents from "the workers>" are not allowed a voice in the dealings of the company - would it not be more easy to work TOGETHER with the people who do the work - rather than against it? I know - US is a complicated country to begin with a whole different approach to most things - but this fear of trade unions is just stupid in my opinion...

Diclotican

[BodieTown]

24. But That's Not UNIQUELY American!

The rest of the world doesn't appreciate or respect our right-to-work-for-less mentality, which is infuriating...I'm taught.

[Kingofalldems]

32. Why do republicans hate unions?

Looks like they want to keep people 'in their place' while the 1% has total control of their salaries and working conditions.

[Grins]

36. Well, that worked out well...!

Well, that worked out well...!

Caught by their own hatred. Maybe VW will move to another state? Any empty factories available elsewhere...?

TN could lose any VW plant expansion jobs. Someone might say, "Heckofajob!"

[vkkv]

38. Southerners will take ANY opportunity to vote against their own best interests!

I'm waiting for the South, AZ, OK, MO, and TX to secede so we can get gong on that BORDER FENCE!

[King_Klonopin]

63. If every one of those anti-union workers were asked

"Do you feel you are paid adequately for the work you do ?"

"Are you satisfied with your health insurance, sick time, vacation
time, pay raises and retirement plan (if any) ?"

"Do you think your work load is fair ?"

"Do you feel that you have any input or recourse ("a voice&quot in the
way workers are treated ?"

"Do you feel secure in your position (that you won't be summarily fired) ?"


How would they respond ? Would the majority answer "NO" ?

And if they answered "NO" to these questions, then what would they be
willing to do to change their circumstances ? ... Nothing ?? ... Rely on
the charity of others ??

But we wouldn't want to bite the hand that feeds us (crumbs).

[WillyT]

41. K & R !!!

[Tippy]

43. We have to thank Senator Corker an Governor Haslam for this

Here in TN

[Mnpaul]

45. Gotta love the comments on Reuters

Here’s a tip for VW officials: Mind your own business.

Let me guess, this was probably written by someone who voted against higher wages for himself.... and watches Fox News on a regular basis.

[King_Klonopin]

61. How ironic...

It literally IS their business!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

46. I really expect the Right to claim NAZIs were commies again.

[DinahMoeHum]

48. If you want to know why unions have problems in the South. . .

. . .a little history is in order. Chiquola Mill, Honea Path, South Carolina 1934

http://www.salon.com/2010/09/07/southern_labor_history/

(snip)
After 1934, the labor movement would try every few years to organize Southern textiles. The rise of the CIO unions starting in 1935, left the cotton mills as the biggest industry without a major union presence. An attempt in 1937 failed when organizers tried to convince bosses that the union and the manager could be friends. The mill-hands were disgusted. A more serious campaign in 1946, dubbed “Operation Dixie,” showed little ability to uproot or challenge the now-institutionalized and intensifying stretchout. Seeing no reason to go out on a limb again, the workers held onto their skepticism; little else had ever worked for them. The union, explained mill-hand Ila Dodson, is “nothing but trouble.”

The basic tenets of 20th-century progressive politics in America — unionism, the welfare state, public-safety regulations — all failed the mill-hands, the largest class of industrial workers in the South. And the failure was spectacular, a once-in-a-generation trauma. The inability of New Deal liberalism to bring on board the Southern white working class was, it seems in retrospect, its ultimate undoing. Who was it that voted for Wallace, then Nixon, then Reagan? The depressing question points to the politically weak people for whom racism was the only bullet left in the chamber. We can’t excuse their racism this way. But we can start to understand it.
(snip)

http://www.salon.com/2010/09/07/southern_labor_history/

Ever since then, there has been this sense of "learned helplessness" that has affected too many Southern workers. Unfortunately, this seems to have happened yet again.

[billh58]

49. George Will as reported by Faux News

"Last week at a Tennessee factory, workers rejected representation by the United Auto Workers union. The 712 to 626 vote — an 89 percent turnout — against unionizing the three-year-old Chattanooga Volkswagen plant was a shattering defeat for the UAW, for organized labor generally and for liberalism nationally. It was a commensurate victory for entrepreneurial federalism."

http://nation.foxnews.com/2014/02/19/george-will-breaking-grip-unions

(Original piece from Washington Post)

Right To work = Right To Starve, and the right-wingers call it "entrepreneurial federalism."

[Lifelong Protester]

51. Jeez. I have to wash my glasses. I thought you quoted Will as saying

Last edited Thu Feb 20, 2014, 09:23 AM - Edit history (1)

entrepreneurial FEUDALISM.


More like it, any way, right?

[MisterP]

57. not at all--feudalism was a two-way road!

[Jake Stern]

50. The difference is that Americans

haven't lived under a truly repressive far right wing government a la the Nazis, Italian Fascists, Franco, the Vichy Regime, The Arrow Cross government of Hungary, etc.

The Tea Party are wee pups compared to these big dogs.

They don't worry that telling their boss to kiss their ass might land them in jail or that complaining too much about working conditions can result in being dragged off in the middle of the night, never to be heard from again.

One could only hope that it won't take such an experience to change the American worker's point of view.

[gopiscrap]

52. excellent

[jsr]

53. Good news

[jeanliberty90]

54. The workers made a free and informed choice..

...it should be respected.

[Populist_Prole]

55. No....they didn't

They made it under the pall and duress and threats of a politician who may have even broke the law doing so.

[freshwest]

58. Hi, VW! Leavenworth, WA. has a lot of German food and WA isn't RTW...

There's a Christmas Festival:



And the Wine Walk:



And of course, Oktoberfest:



VolksWagen, you'll want to be sure to avoid RTW states, shown here in turqouise:



For relocation help, contact:

Governor Jay Inslee
Office of the Governor
PO Box 40002
Olympia, WA 98504-0002

[merrily]

59. God bless solidarity among workers!

Because of solidarity, workers in Germany are able to stick up for each other and also to stick up for workers in the USA, while many in the USA have quietly (or noisily) walked away from unionization.

So, this has now become a problem for a job creator. Let's see how Republicans and Democrats handle it now.

[CottonBear]

65. Both Bush presidents have friends in Chattanooga. Follow the money & influence,

Bush Ohio election fraud: http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/new-evidence-vote-hacking-emerges-ohio-2004

http://911blogger.com/news/2011-07-26/new-court-filing-reveals-how-2004-ohio-presidential-election-was-hacked

Former President George H. W. Bush & wife Barbara guests at opening of new Lookouts Baseball Stadium: http://books.google.com/books?id=HFaI4votjk4C&pg=PA96&lpg=PA96&dq=president+bush,+chattanooga,+new+stadium&source

George W. Bush made several visits to Chattanooga during both selections:
http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/02/images/20070221-4_p022107pm-0519-515h.html

Chattanooga is the home of many super wealthy and very conservative (John Bircher type) families & corporations.

Follow the money and political influence.

[Kingofalldems]

72. Kick this one.