br>
Posted on 01/14/2016 2:35:38 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
A Michigan union fired back at workers who dropped off the membership rolls by urging its members to isolate them at work.
Jeff Hagler, president at UAW Local 412 in Warren, Mich., sent out a newsletter to about 3,000 autoworkers who belong to the union in December. The letter includes a list of 43 mostly female workers who opted out of membership, as well as advice on how they should be treated in the workplace.
"They have elected to quit paying union dues, but are still benefitting by continued representation by the union. Whether we feel this is fair or not, it is permitted to happen because of this continued attack on unions," he said in the letter, which was first obtained by Michigan Capitol Confidential. "Please do not share any tools, knowledge or support for any of these employees who choose not to pay their fair share."
Hagler did not respond to request for comment.
Local 412's advocacy for isolating co-workers could hurt the union's cause, said Vinnie Vernuccio, a labor expert at the Mackinac Public Policy Center, a Michigan free market think tank.
"The UAW is possibly jeopardizing workplace safety by advising its members to not share tools, knowledge, or support with employees on the list, the exodus will likely only grow," he said. "The UAW is simply trying to bully and intimidate former members who exercised their rights. The tactic is backfiring as every time the union publishes the list, it only grows."
Michigan unions are still coping with the state's enacting a right to work law that was enacted in 2013.
The law barred employers from enforcing union membership as a condition of employment, giving workers in the traditional labor stronghold the option to opt out of dues and agency fee payments completely. The unit reported 3,014 members in the spring of 2015, down from 3,144 in 2012 before right to work took effect. Hagler warns his remaining members-98 percent have chosen to remain, according to the newsletter-the consequences of leaving, while noting that they are free to return as long as back dues are paid.
"Your name will be put on a list of all names of those members deciding to opt out of UAW Local 412 and will be made public," the letter says. "If at any time you wish to rejoin UAW Local 412, you will be required to pay all unpaid dues and/or dues in arrears as well as an initiation fee."
Local 412 is following in the footsteps of UAW chapters in other right-to-work states to isolate non-members. Local auto unions in Kansas and Tennessee have each published "scab lists" to name and shame the workers they accuse of being "free riders." Those newsletters, however, advised members to persuade, rather than punish co-workers.
"If you work near one of these people listed please explain the importance of Solidarity and the power of collective bargaining," Tennessee-based UAW Local 1853 said in an October 2014 newsletter.
"It says to talk to them, explain the importance of collective bargaining and solidarity. I'm not trying to intimidate anybody," 1853 president Tim Stannard told the Washington Free Beacon at the time.
Patrick Semmens, a vice president at the National Right to Work Foundation, said that the union's approach ignores the root of why some workers decide to cease their dues payments.
"Instead of leading this thuggish campaign of intimidation to stop workers from exercising their rights, these union bosses ought to be reflecting on why it is so many workers aren't willing to support them voluntarily," he said.
Your son needs to move to Texas and start his business.
You’re welcome to add some of your own.
: )
If several of the 43 simply claim sexual harassment against a few of the union stewards, they will win. In todays world, one is guilty by being charged. That should be their weapon. The union wont know how to handle it.
Jeff Hagler, president at UAW Local 412 in Warren, Mich., sent out a newsletter to about 3,000 autoworkers... includes a list of 43 mostly female workers who opted out of membership, as well as advice on how they should be treated in the workplace.
Sounds like the union bosses are worried about their own perks and benefits.
Would that God would let me be in control. Build the gallows.
Fire anyone who causes a work stoppage or slowdown.
“If at any time you wish to rejoin UAW Local 412, you will be required to pay all unpaid dues and/or dues in arrears as well as an initiation fee.”
An ever growing penalty. This will pretty well guarantee these workers will never rejoin the union.
IF any non-member individuals are hurt as a result of the non-communication, they can be sued for conspiracy.
If most of the women quit and face hostile treatment because of that, sexism versus union in court could be interesting.
I wore my “Company Puke” label as a badge of honor, when I was a Tech in the UAW, which included Aerospace workers.
I was the youngest in the group, by 15-20 years, so it wasn’t easy.
But standing up to those crusty guys sure helped make me stronger.
Moved into Engineering and finished my graduate work.
Next week I close on a 40 year career and retire from that company.
I wonder if Donald J Trump will, as President, push a national right to work law thru.
His wife is from the DAllas area, and he’s thought about it doing that.
It would be a smart decision.
“I wonder if Donald J Trump will, as President, push a national right to work law thru.”
He could and should do that.
Unions are just a fascistic arm of the government, masquerading as organizations that push for better working conditions.
“We can live with private unions, but the public unions work for us, and they should not have that right.”
I would settle for outlawing the teachers union!
I think there was a time, when a union worker’s work effort and quality was worth more than his wage. I know my son, a union plumber, and his young friends give $10 dollars of work for every $1 of pay. They work for a major construction company in Peoria, not out of the union hall.
In fact, my son was first trained in a non union shop for two years, and learned some good work habits, then switched his apprenticeship to a union shop. A couple year’s ago, he entered the National Plumber’s Apprenticeship Contest representing Peoria County. 9 Illinois Apprentice plumbers representing all the regions of the state went to the State Championship in Cook County where there are over 2000 apprentice plumbers.
The guy representing Cook county was the best of this lot. My son was the only guy to enter from Peoria.
Cook County had never lost the title going back to the Al Caponoe era. NEVER.
Well guess what, my son won Illinois State Plumber’s Apprentice Championship, then won the regional and went to the Nationals in Michigan losing to some guy from the D. C district with ties to Obama. My son is pretty humble, but told me the guy was probably the worst plumber of the bunch. I think there were 6 at the Nationals.
STill out of 50,000 apprentice plumbers, my son ended up no. 2 in the country.
In most cases Union=Mediocrity
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.