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The Tennessee GOP's union-thwarting push has backfired
The Week ^ | February 14, 2014 | Peter Weber

Posted on 02/15/2014 9:04:00 AM PST by Qbert

A key victory for the UAW is on the line.

Friday is the last day of a union-organizing vote at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. At stake is whether the German automaker's sole plant in the U.S. will be represented by the United Auto Workers. But it's also much more than that: The battle being waged in Chattanooga is being billed as a seminal moment that will either pave the way for more labor unions in the South, or affirm the continuation of a "right to work" region that is UAW-free.

Going into the three-day election, the vote was too close too call among the 1,550 workers.

"A vote for unionization at Volkswagen would be a historic victory — not only for the UAW, but for the entire labor movement," says John Logan at Reuters.

[Snip]

...VW appears to want the UAW to win, and Corker may have violated U.S. labor laws by attempting to intimidate workers into voting against the UAW. Certainly, his comments have drawn unflattering national attention to the push by Republicans and outside conservative groups to quash the unionization bid.

This is the strongest card that the anti-union side has. The billboards warning that unionization will turn Chattanooga into a postindustrial wasteland — example: "Detroit: Brought to you by the UAW" — don't pass the laugh test. But strongly suggesting that the UAW will kill your livelihood (the Chattanooga plant probably needs a second line of cars to make it) certainly gets workers' attention.

But it's not a very persuasive argument. VW wants to set up a "works council" at the plant — like those at every VW plant except Chattanooga's and two in China — and in order to do that under U.S. law, the Tennessee workers have to have a union.

(Excerpt) Read more at theweek.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Tennessee
KEYWORDS: beltwaymedia; bobcorker; peterweber; tennessee; uaw; unions; volkswagen
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To: okie01

It isn’t. That is a blatant lie.

The union lied to VW and the workers.


21 posted on 02/15/2014 9:30:20 AM PST by 2111USMC (Aim Small Miss Small)
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To: Qbert
The billboards warning that unionization will turn Chattanooga into a postindustrial wasteland — example: "Detroit: Brought to you by the UAW" — don't pass the laugh test.

That's correct.Those with any familiarity with what an outstanding city it was in the 50's (and even 60's) *and* understands what Detroit has become today doesn't laugh.

They weep.

22 posted on 02/15/2014 9:31:55 AM PST by Gay State Conservative (Obama: "I can do whatever I want")
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To: Qbert

The Unions lost... sorry... no spinning this... unions got voted down.


23 posted on 02/15/2014 9:32:34 AM PST by LibLieSlayer (FROM MY COLD, DEAD HANDS! BETTER DEAD THAN RED!)
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To: Publius

What browser do you use?


24 posted on 02/15/2014 9:33:07 AM PST by raybbr (I weep over my sons' future in this Godforsaken country.)
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To: 2banana
"ALL major new car manufacturing plants have been built in right-to-work states... "

That's not exactly correct. It would be much more accurate to say:"ALL major new car manufacturing plants BUILT BY COMPANIES THAT HAVE NOT GONE BANKRUPT have been built in right-to-work states...

25 posted on 02/15/2014 9:33:53 AM PST by norwaypinesavage (Galileo: In science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of one individual)
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To: raybbr

Internet Explorer 11


26 posted on 02/15/2014 9:34:10 AM PST by Publius ("Who is John Galt?" by Billthedrill and Publius now available at Amazon.)
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To: okie01
No problem, just move the plant to Detroit. They'll get their Works Council and all of the workers will live happily every after. At least until the plant closes.
27 posted on 02/15/2014 9:34:16 AM PST by centurion316
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To: Publius
Internet Explorer 11

Ah, there's your problem. Why don't you try Firefox? I never have those popups due to the inherent blocker.

28 posted on 02/15/2014 9:35:52 AM PST by raybbr (I weep over my sons' future in this Godforsaken country.)
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To: Publius

Windows defender blocked the same virus for me.


29 posted on 02/15/2014 9:37:27 AM PST by norwaypinesavage (Galileo: In science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of one individual)
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To: Publius

The website attempted to plug a virus into my machine. You need to delete the link.

Yeah, mine too


30 posted on 02/15/2014 9:46:58 AM PST by Rannug
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To: Qbert

This was a great win for the right to work and a big defeat for Obama and his pro union commie thug buddies. VW was probably smart with their so called neutral stand.


31 posted on 02/15/2014 10:03:16 AM PST by kenmcg
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To: okie01

Probably part of the National Labor Relations Act and included because the unions want to control those councils and argued that without a union they (the councils would be controlled by management).

Personally I am surprised that VW in Germany supported this union drive. From what I can tell, the UAW influenced the German autoworkers union to pressure VW management. Also the German autoworker union by German law has seats on the VW board of directors.


32 posted on 02/15/2014 10:03:41 AM PST by Maine Mariner
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To: okie01

Probably part of the National Labor Relations Act and included because the unions want to control those councils and argued that without a union they (the councils would be controlled by management).

Personally I am surprised that VW in Germany supported this union drive. From what I can tell, the UAW influenced the German autoworkers union to pressure VW management. Also the German autoworker union by German law has seats on the VW board of directors.


33 posted on 02/15/2014 10:03:51 AM PST by Maine Mariner
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Voters at the news paper there in Chattanooga are over 80% against the union and glad it turned out this way.

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2014/feb/15/vw-chattanooga-spurns-uaw-or-vw-workers-say-no-to/


34 posted on 02/15/2014 10:16:02 AM PST by Bodleian_Girl (No tag line today)
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To: Gay State Conservative
The billboards warning that unionization will turn Chattanooga into a postindustrial wasteland — example: "Detroit: Brought to you by the UAW"...

Hell I had to laugh at that, I've never thought to much of Chattanooga, I thought it already looked like an industry wasteland, maybe I was driving though the wrong section of town, or visiting the wrong side, maybe those Bill boards were blocking my view of the good side of Chattanooga.

35 posted on 02/15/2014 10:17:18 AM PST by ReformedBeckite (1 of 3 I'm only allowing my self each day)
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To: Qbert
"A vote for unionization at Volkswagen would be a historic victory — not only for the UAW, but for the entire labor movement," says John Logan at Reuters.

lol. So what would a loss be? "Yesterday's news" according o the lefties.

36 posted on 02/15/2014 10:27:17 AM PST by Fido969 (What's sad is most)
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To: Publius

Try to find this story now - the links lead to viruses. Oddly, I’ve seen that before with news thta embarrasses the liberals - I think it’s the lefty way of putting these stories “down the memory hole.”


37 posted on 02/15/2014 10:30:21 AM PST by Fido969 (What's sad is most)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

Partisan Media Shill ping. This spin-doctoring would be breathtaking, if it weren’t for the laughter.

Thanks Qbert.

Related topics:

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/volkswagen/index


38 posted on 02/15/2014 10:52:34 AM PST by SunkenCiv (http://www.freerepublic.com/~mestamachine/)
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