Talks underway to unionize Volkswagen s US plant
Source: Agence France-Presse
Talks underway to unionize Volkswagen's US plant
AFP September 7, 2013, 1:48 am
CHICAGO (AFP) - The United Auto Workers said Friday it is in talks with Volkswagen to unionize the German automaker's US plant and grant workers there a seat on the global works council.
The UAW has been making a major push to organize foreign auto plants in recent years after seeing its membership levels depleted by mass layoffs at General Motors, Ford and Chrysler.
Virtually none of the plants operated by foreign automakers in the United States currently is unionized.
Many car factories -- like VW's Tennessee facility -- are located in southern states which generally are not union-friendly.
If the UAW succeeds with Volkswagen, that could increase pressure on German rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz to set up works councils at their US plants.
Read more: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/business/a/-/world/18817431/
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It's just crazy to me, but I don't know why some people work against their better interests.
Now, partly because of the outrage, VW will have the employees vote on unionization. It's bizarre that I have no idea how that vote will turn out.
On edit:
Though the article implies that VW is against unions, it was the company that willingly met with the UAW to organize their plant. Healthcare is the sole reason most foreign car companies fight the UAW, and that now with Obamacare that seems a diminishing factor. After all, i believe VW already pays a living wage and affords healthcare to their workers.
Every VW, Mercedes Benz, and BMW built in Germany is done under union contract. The same is true of Honda, Lotus, and Fiat in their home plants. The American south is the only place on Earth where the workers abhor organized labor.
Strange world we live in. -JR, UAW ret.