Big Govt tells Volkswagen how to run its plant

[Covertibility]

Union Drive Doesn’t Bother Management, but G.O.P. Fumes


As workers at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., prepare to vote this week on whether to join the United Automobile Workers, they are facing unusual pressure from the state’s Republican legislators to reject the union.

State Senator Bo Watson, who represents a suburb of Chattanooga, warned on Monday that if VW’s workers voted to embrace the U.A.W., the Republican-controlled Legislature might vote against approving future incentives to help the plant expand.

“The members of the Tennessee Senate will not view unionization as in the best interest of Tennessee,” Mr. Watson said at a news conference. He added that a pro-U.A.W. vote would make it “exponentially more challenging” for the legislature to approve future subsidies.

A loss of such incentives, industry analysts say, could persuade Volkswagen to award production of a new S.U.V. to its plant in Mexico instead of to the Chattanooga plant, which currently assembles the Passat.

At a news conference on Tuesday, United States Senator Bob Corker, a former mayor of Chattanooga and a Republican, also called on VW employees to reject the union. He called it “a Detroit-based organization” whose key to survival was to organize plants in the South.

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Volkswagen is eager to have a German-style works council at the Chattanooga plant. The council would bring together managers and white- and blue-collar workers to help set factory policies and foster collaboration. Many labor experts say that to have a works council, employees first need to vote for a labor union to represent them. If the Chattanooga plant establishes a works council, it would be the first factory in the United States to do so.

“Our works councils are key to our success and productivity,” said Frank Fischer, Volkswagen Chattanooga’s chief executive and chairman. “It is a business model that helped to make Volkswagen the second-largest car company in the world. Our plant in Chattanooga has the opportunity to create a uniquely American works council, in which the company would be able to work cooperatively with our employees and ultimately their union representatives, if the employees decide they wish to be represented by a union.”

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It appears the freedom to unionize is a no-no in the province of Tennessee. Could unionization spread to the other provinces of West Afghanistan or will America's Taliban find a way to repeal the right of workers to unionize?

 

[ammo]

they should set up a new separate union, not tied to teamsters,uaw and so on, the unions are a great idea,it's the people running them,same as the constitution vs the people not implementing it, both ideas need to be overhauled as greed seems to be the driving force

 

[Covertibility]

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

Why the heck does VW not want to take advantage of its workers? How dare these people not understand the american capitalistic form of slavery of long hours at low wages. Perhaps these people believe that America is a country instead of what it is and has always been, a business venture.

 

[loufah]

I think reducing the number of laws that give tax incentives is "smaller government", not "big government".

 

[murray t turtle]

they should set up a new separate union, not tied to teamsters,uaw and so on, the unions are a great idea,it's the people running them,same as the constitution vs the people not implementing it, both ideas need to be overhauled as greed seems to be the driving force

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I see your points,mr Ammo, good nickname.
But people in TN + many right to work states, can speak for themselves. Unions are what the socialists + stupid spenders, used to bankrupt Detroit....


Do you like what the political cartoon says[mrc website] VW ran over UAW.UAW =roadkill, LOL?? However i do like UAW i think, they or some union,wrote into contract deer hunting days, not that we need a union for that.

 

[Wallet]

greed seems to be the driving force

In the late 80's, a problem decade for the American auto makers I knew a guy who worked the line in the local GM plant. They were on strike with a list of demands. GM had caved and agreed to the UAW's demands on one condition, that the increase in benefits be tied to the plants quality control numbers ..... if effect we'll give you what you want if you'll build a good product.

This guy cursed GM for their response.

 

[Tsing Tao]

if the employees decide they wish to be represented by a union.”

Except that the employees voted against unionization. Oh well, time to move on.

 

[Ricter]

The high rate of union membership in Germany is killing their manufacturing and competitiveness worldwide.

 

[Tsing Tao]

The high rate of union membership in Germany is killing their manufacturing and competitiveness worldwide.

Having a currency union does have it's benefits.

 

[gwb-trading]

The high rate of union membership in Germany is killing their manufacturing and competitiveness worldwide.

I will assume this comment is in sarcasm.

I will note that unions in Germany are quite different. The unions in Germany are part owners of the company and usually have 1/3 of the seats on the board.

The actual strife in Germany today is that many workers are accusing the unions of acting just like management with cost cutting, decreased benefits, reduced hours, etc. The workers no longer really believe that the unions represent their interests but are just part of the corporate power mechanism and effectively no different than the management.