Obama lashes out at Republicans on Volkswagen-union organizing fight

[Capt. Obvious]

Source: Reuters

President Barack Obama on Friday waded into Washington's war of words over a union organizing election in Tennessee when he accused Republicans of trying to block labor's efforts at an auto plant in that state, according to a Democratic aide who heard the remarks.

A Democratic aide said that Obama, speaking during a closed meeting with U.S. House of Representatives Democrats, said everyone is in favor of the United Auto Workers representing Volkswagen workers except for local politicians who "are more concerned about German shareholders than American workers."

....

The Democratic president then held a closed session during which he made the remarks about the election that ends on Friday in Chattanooga, where union organizers are hoping to win representation of auto workers at a VW plant in that city.

Earlier this week, Republican Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee caused a stir when he lashed out against the UAW and said he had had "conversations" leading him to believe that if the union effort failed, VW would announce the production of a new line of SUVs at the Chattanooga plant

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/14/us-autos-vw-obama-idUSBREA1D1CC20140214

---

Good. Need more and needed it 3 days ago.

[Sunlei]

1. Republicans hate Unions

[pangaia]

15. Republicans hate human beings.

[Martin Eden]

19. After they are born. n/t

[pangaia]

20. Opps, my mistake. Thanks for correcting me.

For that, you get a heart.

[Cali_Democrat]

2. Rachel Maddow had a good piece on this yesterday

She demonstrated how anti-union laws in states like Wisconsin are simply a means to get more Republicans into office. This because unions mainly donate to Dems.

The majority of outside groups donating to campaigns donate to Republicans. These groups are mainly bankrolled by corporations and the wealthy.

GOPers want ALL outside groups to donate to Republicans so they are trying to crush all unions. It's a way to get more Republicans into office and it's all coordinated....throughout the country.

What's going on in Tennessee is an extension of this.

[wryter2000]

3. That's exactly it

It has nothing to do with German shareholders, who are probably in favor of VW's cooperation with the union.

[JDPriestly]

8. A collaborative atmosphere in the workplace is more productive.

Ask Google. Google created a very collaborative workplace. That is the secret of its creativity and success.

Googlers solve complex problems everyday in the name of our core mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible to our users. But what makes working at Google truly unique is the workplace culture that encourages innovation and a healthy disregard for the impossible. Watch Alan Eustace, SVP of knowledge, explain the secret ingredient that makes Google a great place to work: our people.

https://www.google.com/about/jobs/lifeatgoogle/do-cool-things-that-matter.html

Their headline is "Do Cool Things That Matter." That's how they recruit their staff.

"If you have good ideas, you can come here and build these things." That's how Google recruits its staff.

Not all jobs demand the creativity that Google demands. But all workplaces need employees with the enthusiasm and willingness to solve problems and work as a team that Google fosters.

Why don't we have more workplaces in America that share the Google work ethic and philosophy.

I note that work ethic is not just something employees have, not just an employees' loyalty to the boss, but also the boss's loyalty and respect for the employees. Work should be collaboration. Workers should care about the success of the company they work for, and employers should care about the success of the workers who work for their company.

[riversedge]

26. Bingo--and

it has worked in WI. Unions are basically crushed with no money

[bkanderson76]

4. The German shareholder wants the true American worker....Bob Corker does not...Go Blow Bob

[riversedge]

27. Corker did well with his scare tactics.

[SamKnause]

5. His lashing would have carried a lot

more weight if he would have found his walking shoes when he was needed in Wisconsin.

[1StrongBlackMan]

9. Except Wisconsin Democratic Politicos ...

asked him not to come, as it would have distracted from their efforts. It was discussed on DU at the time.

[riversedge]

28. The official

Dem Party of WI sucks--then and now

[QuestForSense]

12. I agree. But maybe this time his words WILL carry some weight.

I do not recall Wisconsin Dems asking him not to come, nor do I remember much about that being discussed here (although I'm sure it must have been). Unfortunately, what stands out most in my memory is this:

From The Nation, dated March 3, 2011:

The White House mostly has sought to stay out of the fray in Madison, Wis., and other state capitals where Republican governors are battling public employee unions and Democratic lawmakers over collective bargaining rights. When West Wing officials discovered that the Democratic National Committee had mobilized Mr. Obama’s national network to support the protests, they angrily reined in the staff at the party headquarters.

Administration officials said they saw such events beyond Washington as distractions from the optimistic “win the future” message Mr. Obama introduced with his State of the Union Address.

http://www.thenation.com/blog/158999/white-house-odds-obama-supporters-over-wisconsin-protests

[Laelth]

6. Good. k&r n/t

-Laelth

[JDPriestly]

7. Finally. Obama speaks out on this. Good for him. The anti-union crowd is being absurd.

Volkswagen is used to working with its workers as collaborators, not working against its workers as enemies. Why is that concept so hard for Republicans to understand?

[madrchsod]

10. it`s a right to work state.

if the germans wanted the workers to unionize they should have picked a non right to work state. but they chose the tax breakers and other incentives to locate in tennessee.

running a union when a union member does not have to pay dues is a bit more difficult.

[former9thward]

21. They did not want a union friendly state.

The only reason they favored the union here is that they attempted to install 'work councils' (such as exist in Germany) in the plant. They found they could not do that because under U.S. labor law a company can't create alternative employee formations in a non-union setting. So that is why they wanted to get the union in there so they can set up the work councils.

[NastyRiffraff]

11. The "concern" for German shareholders is as fraudulent

as the faux "concern" for big business, which is now clearly shown to be fake. VW, a very big business, at the very least, won't stand in the way of the vote and the union. Yet Corker (fitting name) wants to stand in the way of VW.

[geardaddy]

13. VW needs to put pressure on the TN gov

or move to ohio or somewhere that has a history of union carmakers.

[Fred Sanders]

14. So...a closed meeting.....and Obama is being "quoted as saying....but Reuters says "lashing out"....

Reuters is another tool of the super rich.....no offence.

[Doctor_J]

24. Yeah, this doesn't really pass the sniff test

If he wanted to lambaste the Repukes his Saturday radio address would have been an excellent venue. Let's see what follows

[musselmanm]

16. That is the man

I voted for him for things just like this.
FDR said, money organizes and so should workers!
Union yes!

[musselmanm]

17. People will see the lies

From the start of Repuke talking.
Unions improved my family and my life.
Made a decent living and had benefits.
The United Association of Plumbers and Fittters works together with employers to form a partnership.
Both sides are better for negotiating.
People like Corker just want to take things from workers and percieved Democrats.
The lies will be his undoing if VW goes union.

[QuestForSense]

18. VW workers at Tennessee plant reject union

The vote was 712 to 626.

http://www.salon.com/2014/02/15/vw_workers_at_tennessee_plant_reject_union/

[DiverDave]

22. More fucking words, I will bet 50 bucks it ends

with words.
WAKE UP, he is NOT on your side.

[Doctor_J]

23. I don't see any "lashing out" in the article

Lashing out at Republicans would be decidedly out of character for the president

[riversedge]

25. Obama should have spoken out earlier and LOUDER--Not IN THE LAST HOURS

OF THE LAST DAY OF VOTING!! DAMM. DURING HIS presidential campaign he said he would put on marching boots and march with Labor. But during the Wisconsin Protests when over 100,000 people--teachers, union folks, corrections, ect marched for weeks, we heard nary a peep from him!! I generally like Obama but sometimes he irritates the he.... out of me.

[Thinkingabout]

29. Is the complaint Obama did too little too late or the fact Corker and his gang lied to VW

Workers and they voted against the union. On either incident more must be worked so as to have the union going into the Tennessee plant, union members has fought long and hard for things in the past and hard work will be needed in the future. Gains are not gotten without sweat equality. Fight on to another day.