Tennessee's Union Busting Prompts VW to Manufacture Elsewhere

[Jackpine Radical]

(Haven't seen this posted yet; apologies if it's a dupe)

http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/23326-tennessees-union-busting-prompts-vw-to-manufacture-elsewhere

By Erik Schelzig, The Detroit News
…
Tennessee’s $300-million incentive offer to expand the plant has been complicated by Republican politicians’ opposition to the United Auto Workers campaign to unionize workers there.
…
Volkswagen wants to create a German-style works council at the plant representing both hourly and salaried employees, but can’t do so without the involvement of an independent union.

But Republican leaders in the state have fiercely opposed the UAW gaining a foothold with Volkswagen, arguing that it would hurt Tennessee’s ability to attract other manufacturers and suppliers. Before a February union vote, some warned the state Legislature could reject incentives if the UAW won.

The UAW ended up losing that vote 712-626. And on Monday the union abandoned an appeal of the outcome to the National Labor Relations Board, urging the state to quickly approve incentives to expand the plant.

[Scuba]

1. Why do Republicans hate American workers?

[JohnnyRingo]

3. I hear you.

Of course the GOP doesn't hate auto workers, they hate where union dues go.

Every "right to work" law has a section that relieves union members from paying dues- money that partially goes to elect democrats. Republicans only hate the people in their state who belong to the democratic party. Like every other policy they hold, they have to punish others to reach their goal.

The top two contributors to the GOP are the oil and insurance industries. The #1 source of cash for democrats are public service unions like teachers.

[alp227]

6. Are you sure union dues go to PAC? Nt

[JohnnyRingo]

17. Though corporations try to spread their donations between the parties....

The oil & insurance lobbies know who butters their bread.

Unions overwhelmingly donate worker's dues to Democratic candidates and causes as this chart shows. That #1 position, "FAHR LLC" is liberal billionaire Tom Fahr Steyer, the much ballyhooed opening guest on last night's "Real Time with Bill Maher":

http://www.opensecrets.org/overview/topcontribs.php

Collectively, unions nearly match dollar for dollar the donations put up by energy and insurance companies. Given that fact, it's no wonder republicans fight to prevent workers from paying dues... either by banishing unions altogether or through "right to work" laws.

I think we recall the battle against teacher and public worker unions waged in Ohio and Wisconsin. Here in Ohio, Kasich underestimated the backlash and Issue 2 went down dramatically a couple years ago. He actually apologized after that vote.

[MicaelS]

8. They want workers powerless.

That way they can treat workers as foully as they want, and then tell them "Don't like it? Go somewhere else!"

And it's not just older people. I read and hear the hatred of unions among lots of young IT people. Many IT people tend toward Libertarianism, and of course Libertarians hate unions with a passion.

[Enthusiast]

22. And American consumers?

And ethnic, racial and religious minorities? And the environment?

[DirkGently]

2. We need those "German-style works council(s)."

No other wealthy country thinks giving capital 100% of the power and labor 0% is a formula for success.

[jrandom421]

4. Didn't the mayor of Lansing, Michigan

visit Volkswagen in Chattanooga, and invite them to put their operations in Lansing?

http://www.wilx.com/home/headlines/Mayor-Invites-Volkswagen-to-Expand-to-Lansing-244978501.html

[avebury]

5. If I owned a business I would not even consider

making any type of major investment in Michigan. The Republicans are too vested in destroying that state, one town/city at a time.

[Jackpine Radical]

7. Which of the industrial states are they NOT trying to destroy?

[avebury]

11. Exactly which is why, if I were ever fortunate to

have significant wealth (which is highly unlikely ) I just would not see the US is a country worth investing in. I truly believe that this country is dying a slow painful death and things will certainly not turn around in my lifetime.

[gelsdorf]

15. Notice the industrial states are around the Great Lakes

only the worlds largest fresh water resource. The Rethugs want control of the water, thus destroy the states to get it.

[Jackpine Radical]

16. That little detail has not escaped my notice.

[Snotcicles]

9. Once again it's the UAW that are the grownups in the room. nt

[Brigid]

10. Stupid Tennessee Repugs!

They're cutting off their noses to spite their faces. If VW moves out of state, Tennessee voters will know whose fault that is, and make them pay.

[Jackpine Radical]

12. It'll be a powerful lesson to the poor misguided workers (I was thinking of using a harsher term)

who voted against the union.

I hope they learn from it.

[geretogo]

13. Better yet expand the plant to Germany and bring American workers with the plant .The workers would

get a chance to experience democracy in an advanced civilized country .

[roody]

14. I hope they come to Ca.

[okaawhatever]

18. The headline is misleading. VW hasn't decided to manufacture elsewhere. (and I just spent way

too much time trying to figure out the lying headline). VW told Tennessee that they had other offers for the SUV line in January. TN had offered them a $300 million incentive package, which they said was in question due to the union vote. When the UAW backed off their election complaint, VW was told by Tennessee that the $300 Million was no longer on the table due to ???? but that they could renegotiate.
This could mean a couple of things. 1. VW wants a better deal and is trying it's case in the court of public opinion.
2. VW will be moving but they want everyone to come out from the woodwork and make offers OR, and this is my personal opinion 3. They're nixing the previous offer to keep Gov Haslam and Sen Corker out of jail. I think if the deal went through as it was it would amount to quid pro quo. I think they will negotiate a new deal (if VW is still interested) to say the $300 million deal was never threatened the way Corker made it seem at the time of the union election.

[Duppers]

19. it'd be a terrible precedent if Haslam got away with this

Yep, that op title title was off the mark a bit. I read this article too.

[Iris]

20. I'm glad I wasn't the only one. n/t

[spanone]

21. EXCLUSIVE: Leaked Emails Raise Questions About Governor's $300M Offer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- New leaked documents raise more questions about Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam's secret $300 million offer to Volkswagen.

The Haslam administration has claimed that the deal to help Volkswagen expand its Chattanooga plant never went through because the offer expired after the automaker failed to meet a deadline to respond -- and that it had nothing to do with the governor's opposition to the United Auto Workers.

But emails leaked to NewsChannel 5 Investigates -- emails that the state had refused to release -- show Volkswagen lawyers had actually drawn up papers for a potential deal to bring more than a thousand new jobs to Tennessee, but it was the Haslam administration who pulled the plug on the incentives it had offered in August 2013.

"A number of circumstances have changed or occurred since we delivered the August 23rd materials," Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty emailed a top Volkswagen executive on Jan. 31. "The August 2013 incentive summary does not account for these changes and is no longer relevant."

more & video:

http://www.newschannel5.com/story/25334989/leaked-emails-raise-questions-about-governors-300m-offer

[SoCalDem]

23. Gee Whiz.. makes one wonder how many jobs could have been created with 300 million

They always find money for bribes, don't they?

[Ghost in the Machine]

24. Statement from Sen Corker: "Time for Volkswagen, Tennessee to Move Forward on Plant Expansion"

"Senator Corker released the following statement on Monday after the UAW withdrew its appeal of February’s election at Chattanooga’s Volkswagen (VW) plant.

"This 11th hour reversal by the UAW affirms what we have said all along -- that their objection was nothing more than a sideshow to draw attention away from their stinging loss in Chattanooga," said Corker. “Many have felt the UAW never really wanted another election in the near term because they knew they would lose by an even larger margin, based on widespread knowledge of the UAW's problematic track record throughout the country, which the workers at Volkswagen have been able to see firsthand over recent months. Fortunately, the majority of workers at Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant realized they were only dollar signs to the UAW’s self-survival.”

"It's a shame the UAW slowed the momentum on our expansion conversations with Volkswagen, but now it's time for VW, our state and our community to re-engage and move forward with bringing additional jobs to Chattanooga," added Corker.

As mayor of Chattanooga from 2001-2005, Corker worked with officials and community leaders to develop the 1,200 acre Enterprise South Industrial Park, which is now home to Volkswagen's North American manufacturing headquarters. Much of the negotiation that led to Volkswagen choosing Chattanooga occurred around the dining room table of Corker’s Chattanooga home." {emphasis mine}

No link, got it in an email, but may be able to find it here: http://www.corker.senate.gov/public/

Peace,

Ghost