VW Union Vote

[harbor]

Anyone else following this event in TN?
For some reason (probably because I'm a Detroit boy) I was really intrigued by all of the drama leading up to yesterday's vote, i.e., Corker and Obama weighing in and VW assuming a hands-off approach.
Although the vote was fairly close, the VW workers rejected the union, so it will be interesting to see if the UAW tries to unionize another import plant in the US.

 

[RF Overlord]

This thread has the potential to go downhill very rapidly...

 

[Boomer]

I quit buying cars made in UAW plants when I was paying a large health desuctible as a retiree and found that UAW wokers and retirees were paying none and it added close to $1000 per car.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: harbor
Anyone else following this event in TN?
For some reason (probably because I'm a Detroit boy) I was really intrigued by all of the drama leading up to yesterday's vote, i.e., Corker and Obama weighing in and VW assuming a hands-off approach.
Although the vote was fairly close, the VW workers rejected the union, so it will be interesting to see if the UAW tries to unionize another import plant in the US.


Haven't they been trying to organize the Honda plant in Ohio and the Nissan plant in Tennessee for years now?

 

[Taildragger]

I like Chattanooga, would hate to it go the way of Detroit.

 

[Gabe]

Originally Posted By: harbor
Although the vote was fairly close, the VW workers rejected the union


I will never understand why people willing vote against better working conditions.

 

[Taildragger]

Originally Posted By: Gabe


I will never understand why people willing vote against better working conditions.


That is a rather simplistic way to look at it,,,,

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: Gabe
Originally Posted By: harbor
Although the vote was fairly close, the VW workers rejected the union


I will never understand why people willing vote against better working conditions.

Obviously their intent was not to vote against better working conditions. Their intent was to vote against unionization.

The effect of their vote may or may not be worse working conditions. We'll see.

 

[Taildragger]

626 pink slips on the way?

 

[mjk]

Originally Posted By: Taildragger
Originally Posted By: Gabe


I will never understand why people willing vote against better working conditions.


That is a rather simplistic way to look at it,,,,


x2.. been there, done that.

 

[Gabe]

Originally Posted By: Boomer
I quit buying cars made in UAW plants when I was paying a large health desuctible as a retiree and found that UAW wokers and retirees were paying none


Your plant should have jointed the UAW. But, seriously, refusing to buy union because they treat their retirees too well doesn't make sense to me.

 

[harbor]

Originally Posted By: RF Overlord

This thread has the potential to go downhill very rapidly...


RF - Yeah, I know, but I'm not trying to start a pro/con union debate. Just fascinated by all of the dynamics associated with this particular vote. Maybe it's the media hype, I don't know what caught my attention on this one. Nissan & Honda worker's rejection got much less coverage.

 

[pbm]

Originally Posted By: Gabe
Originally Posted By: harbor
Although the vote was fairly close, the VW workers rejected the union


I will never understand why people willing vote against better working conditions.



Maybe they are happy with their current situation....

 

[Taildragger]

Is it true that the UAW costs the average new car buyer about $1,000 for their employee benefits?

 

[pbm]

Originally Posted By: Taildragger
Is it true that the UAW costs the average new car buyer about $1,000 for their employee benefits?


Probably more than that...don't forget the bennies for the union bigshots...

 

[opus1]

Originally Posted By: Gabe
Originally Posted By: harbor
Although the vote was fairly close, the VW workers rejected the union


I will never understand why people willing vote against better working conditions.
Apparently enough people felt that conditions were just fine and the union wouldn't add anything to their life but another payroll deduction...

 

[wkcars]

I can't think of any benefit a union can do or provide that isn't covered by law or the employee can't negotiate themselves directly, so what's left with union involvement is the employee getting a chunk of their paycheck taken and employers having to spend more which they then pass on the costs to consumers. And when dealing with public employee unions, the costs are paid by taxpayers.

 

[SteveSRT8]

I hear frequently about the Koch Brothers stealing elections. Funny thing is their spending is ranked number 59. Unions spent 35 times more money than them.

The poor union members don't even get to vote on how those millions are spent. If it was fairly and equitably dispersed I would feel very differently about the unions.

They should spend more money on their members interests IMO...

 

[pbm]

Back in December 2013 I watched an interview with AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka. He stated that the unions should "partner with our 'progressive allies' like the NAACP and La Raza" to bring about needed changes....He lost me after that...

 

[R80RS]

Originally Posted By: RF Overlord

This thread has the potential to go downhill very rapidly...


I chimed in with my opinion on a thread like this once, and the mods promised me 7 days vacation from BITOG if I did it again. So I'll hold my tongue, except to say that I think the vote was a good outcome.