Union Suffers Crushing Defeat As Volkswagen Workers Vote to Reject Union (healthcare, highway)
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The UAW has fallen from 1.5 million members to 400,000. The article says they must get foreign automakers to unionize to stay afloat. But many workers in the Southern auto plants make more than their UAW counterparts in the rust belt, and they don't have to give up big chunks of their salaries to the UAW.
This was the UAW's best chance at unionization in the foreign, Southern auto factory. Volkswagen "gift wrapped" this vote for them, but the workers decided to vote the union down.
Great news. The only good Union is a squashed-llike-a-but Union.
Unions have their place. However their power can, very easily, become abusive to both management and labor.
I agree. At UC, at least one union has to approve reclassifications 'out of' the union - ie, a promotion!! And, often, they don't approve, and the employee has to file a complaint to get the promotion 'out'. They don't want to let you go!! Oh, I mean your DUES.
As a result, there are different leave plans, parking fees, retirement plans, and different you name it. It's an admin nightmare. But the dues keep flowing. That's all that really matters.
Oh, I forgot to mention, it's easier to start the union than to ix-neh the union - it's the way the CA legislation is set up - by guess who?
It's crazy that an 'institution of higher learning' would stoop so LOW!! Are we really saying the university is an 'abusive' employer? The list of benefits is as long as your arm!!
You'd think for a 'freedom of choice' outfit -- there'd be one. LOL! LOL! LOL!
Go VW!!!!
OH - BTW - UAW represents UC postdoc employees!!! Need I say more?
There hasn't been labor trouble in years. They have UAW plants, like in Spring Hill, Tn where they've been working a long time without even having a contract.
The UAW accepted deep concessions to keep the industry afloat...even accepting a two tiered pay system.
The union isn't why the Big 3 had problems. They manufactured junk..that's why they had problems.
and it was union labor that assembled that junk. the designs were decent, the labor putting them together sucked.
Quote:
Originally Posted by desertdetroiter
If people would empower the unions, they'd work better.
Even still, having one is better than not having one at the end of the day.
if the unions would work with the companies, rather than against them, then perhaps unions would have a better chance at organizing labor again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by natalie469
[/b]
Unions pay better and look after their employees. Sorry you don't agree.
not at the VW plant they dont. thats why the union lost the vote there.
All of their other plants are unionized, and unlike the contentious D3 of decades past, who were IMO not working with their employers, VW has had a mostly smooth history of labor/management relationships. On and off, there had been talk of this plant doubling in size due to new potential models, both short and long-term additions.
For our economy, and I say this despite greatly disliking the UAW in general due to their past, this may NOT be good news at all. From what I have read, there has been fear VW will gravitate future additional labor requirements to other facilities, with Mexican ones being more favored.
Our politicians should be ashamed of themselves for injecting their views into what should have been strictly a Free Market private sector decision.
Tennessee Senator Bob Corker told the workers Volkwagen would receive no more state "incentives" if the workers unionized. It's pure extortion but what were they supposed to do?
The VW executive team should have publicly chastised Bob Corker. I liked him before,have always disliked the UAW, but I am a firm believer in private sector decisions to unionize or not unionize being made without political pressure. In the past, I donated to his campaign. Never again, and in both the primary and actual election bids of his going forward, I will be voting against him.
The VW executive team should have publicly chastised Bob Corker. I liked him before,have always disliked the UAW, but I am a firm believer in private sector decisions to unionize or not unionize being made without political pressure. In the past, I donated to his campaign. Never again, and in both the primary and actual election bids of his going forward, I will be voting against him.
It was being said that VW has "work councils" at its' other plants. The work councils represent both blue and white collar workers, as far as work rules and some other dealings are concerned. Wages and benefits are negotiated by IG Metall, which backs the UAW in this effort.
Look for the result to be contested in court, as most of what the politcians said could be construed to be tampering.
Why didn't the German auto manufacturers just go ahead and build plants in MI instead of risking having a non-union shop elsewhere.
Maybe they learned their lesson and will start building plants in MI.
Don't know if MI can give the sweetheart deal that TN did to get VW here. I wonder, if in the long run, it will worth it here.
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Are we really saying the university is an 'abusive' employer? The list of benefits is as long as your arm!! 
Need I say more? 