Posted on 02/22/2014 3:44:45 PM PST by mandaladon
WASHINGTON/CHATTANOOGA (Reuters) - In the aftermath of the United Auto Workers' crushing defeat in a vote to represent workers at Volkswagen's sole U.S. factory, a key question remains unanswered: did conservative politicians and anti-union groups work together to stymie the union?
In an appeal to the National Labor Relations Board on Friday, the UAW said there was a "coordinated effort" by state politicians, anti-union groups and Tennessee's U.S. Senator Bob Corker to coerce a no vote in the February 12-14 election.
The union's NLRB filing offered scant detail to support the allegation, and Reuters interviews with more than a dozen players over the past week also provide no evidence of close contacts either between the politicians and the groups or among the groups themselves.
However, through the interviews a more complete picture emerges of how at least five national organizations and one grassroots group - all apparently operating independently - mounted a formidable threat to the UAW and helped thwart what many initially viewed as the favorite to win the election.
How that loose coalition was able to help defeat the UAW could provide a blueprint for conservative groups to oppose the union as it presses on with its campaign for representation in its first foreign-owned auto plant in the U.S. South.
Central to the anti-union effort in Chattanooga, Tennessee was an attempt to win not just the hearts and minds of auto workers but also those of their friends and families.
The UAW ran a fairly traditional campaign: meeting workers, distributing fliers and running radio ads. Anti-union forces, who were not allowed to campaign at the plant, waged war outside. Throughout Chattanooga, they held town hall meetings, launched anti-UAW websites, wrote numerous op-ed opinion pieces and radio ads, and put up billboards.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
One billboard linked the UAW to Democratic President Barack Obama, whose national approval ratings are dismally low, and another to the demise of auto hub Detroit, which filed the biggest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history last July.......................Smart move.
I haven’t followed this as much as I should have perhaps.
But maybe these workers are the “Free Agents” the Obamatron is referring to?
Blame Obama for the demise of some unions.
“Hey, what the-—only OUR side is allowed to organize!!! That’s not FAAAIIIIRRRRR!!!!!”
“One billboard linked the UAW to Democratic President Barack Obama, whose national approval ratings are dismally low, and another to the demise of auto hub Detroit, which filed the biggest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history ...”
Imagine if romney would have done that instead of going around telling everyone what a nice guy zero was.
There were also a few editorials written by a UAW worker named Terry Bowman warning them against unionizing. (He’s considering a run for the John Dingell seat here in Michigan)
http://www.beacontn.org/2014/02/unionized-plant-not-in-best-interest-of-workers-community/
Did they forget to link the photos of the billboards or did I miss them?
Bless those people. They had no financial reason to convince others against the uaw. There still are lots of great people in this country
Thanks!
Nice use of the Packard Plant.
Oh that is awesome!!!
It will be very interesting to see how the nobama bought-and-paid-for NRLB will twist this in favor of the UAW.
Whole lotta twistin’ goin’ on :)
Some day your automobile factory could look like this!
The NLRB - now there’s an independent body! /sarc
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