VW actually wants to unionize its American factory; Republicans freak out.

[Patroklos]

Also, a while back Maddow went over the anti-union laws in TN and it is indeed illegal for workers to get a say, as VW does in all of its other plants, without the plant officially voting to be unionized. That's just TN law.

I see your coward ass couldn't quote your own damn OP article, is anyone here surprised? Well, since you just used hearsay Maddow as a source I guess not. You are every sort of loser possible Oerdin. Nobody here gives a **** about your talk TV or "in these times" when you started with The NYT. You obviously like that NYT article because you started a the thread with it, you reap what you sow.

From Oerdin's own OP:

The face-off between Volkswagen and the United Automobile Workers over organizing the company’s new plant in Tennessee is rapidly becoming a global clash of cultures.

Note its VW and the UAW facing off, THE FIRST DAMN LINE OF YOUR ARTICLE. Not VW and their workers. No VW and the State of Tennessee. Not VW and any Republican of any sort.

The senior labor representative at Volkswagen in Germany, Bernd Osterloh, is planning a trip to the United States to suggest a compromise in what has become a heated battle over the U.A.W.’s relentless drive to organize a foreign-owned auto plant in the American South.

If VW is inviting the UAW in with open arms as you suggest, why is a compromise required?

A works council is not like an American union, which can negotiate contracts and authorize strikes. But it does have the advantage of being a familiar form of labor relations for a German car company like VW.

That's your own article, the one you based this whole thread off of, straight out saying VW is not advocating for a union but something very different.

In Germany, works councils are not the same as unions, though the two often cooperate. The councils, whose members are elected by employees, have a right to be consulted on job cuts or other decisions about working conditions. They are barred by law from negotiating over wages. That is the prerogative of labor unions, which typically bargain on an industrywide basis.

Do you still want to claim VW wants a union? Again, this is your article.

[Felch]

Also, a while back Maddow went over the anti-union laws in TN and it is indeed illegal for workers to get a say, as VW does in all of its other plants, without the plant officially voting to be unionized. That's just TN law.

It sounds like the best thing to do would be to get rid of such laws at the state and federal levels. It hardly seems Constitutional for the government to prohibit workers from organizing to communicate with management outside of unions.

[Dinner]

I see your coward ass couldn't quote your own damn OP article, is anyone here surprised? Well, since you just used hearsay Maddow as a source I guess not. You are every sort of loser possible Oerdin. Nobody here gives a **** about your talk TV or "in these times" when you started with The NYT. You obviously like that NYT article because you started a the thread with it, you reap what you sow.

From Oerdin's own OP:



Note its VW and the UAW facing off, THE FIRST DAMN LINE OF YOUR ARTICLE. Not VW and their workers. No VW and the State of Tennessee. Not VW and any Republican of any sort.



If VW is inviting the UAW in with open arms as you suggest, why is a compromise required?



That's your own article, the one you based this whole thread off of, straight out saying VW is not advocating for a union but something very different.



Do you still want to claim VW wants a union? Again, this is your article.

VW originally wanted a works council, which is different, and TN law does not allow it so the company came out publicly supporting the UAW unionizing their factory in TN as a way to get around the road block created by TN's stupid laws. Republicans have been trying to prevent that with the company itself coming out publicly saying it wants its TN factory to be unionized just like every other factory the company runs. That's a fact no matter how much you want to pretend it is not. You being obtuse won't change that fact.

[Dinner]

It sounds like the best thing to do would be to get rid of such laws at the state and federal levels. It hardly seems Constitutional for the government to prohibit workers from organizing to communicate with management outside of unions.

Which VW has said they'd like to see while state Republicans have refused to make any changes and even oppose VW's own efforts to unionize their workers. The Republicans simply see this in partisan political terms where workers and unions are the enemy and they're afraid if unions successfully get set up in the state then long term they will oppose Republican union busting efforts which, of course, they will do.

[MrFun]

Here's another source that claims that VW wants to have their workers unionized at their TN plant.

This NYT article is somewhat confusing. It opens up talking about how the workers at the TN VW plant want to unionize and that VW corporation supports this, but then later in the article, it switches to referring to this as a workers' council.

In that NYT article, a pro-union VW worker made a good point. Republican legislators often say let workers vote for their own best interests, but I guess that rhetoric only applies when workers vote against unionization, and not for it. So here, we have Republican legislators interfering; so much for less government, right?

Chris Brown, a pro-union Volkswagen worker, objects to the Republicans’ pressure. “This decision should be between the workers, VW and the U.A.W.,” he said. “We’re the parties involved. Governor Haslam is elected to run the state. This is our workplace and our decision.”

[Felch]

You guys are mistaking your hopes for VW's wishes. VW doesn't want a union, it wants a worker's council. It's willing to accept a union as the price for having a worker's council. It's like how I don't want to give my grocery store money, but I'm willing to give them money in exchange for food.

[Sava]

Volkswagen can go **** itself. I'm never buying any of their cars... ****ing nazis

[Ben Kenobi]

Haha! Owned!

Because unions only want their henchmen to have a say. It's not about workers, it's about Union bosses.

Exactly. And Obama can go stuff it! I should see if I can buy a Volkswagon!

[pchang]

They voted no.

[DinoDoc]

They voted no.

heh.

[pchang]

Are you sure your political desires are really in your own best interests?

[DinoDoc]

Are you sure your political desires are really in your own best interests?

I don't live in TN. I have the luxury of finding this to be amusing as it doesn't really effect my situation. I may go check out Huffpo or Daily Kos to see if there are any wailing and gnashing of teeth.

[Ben Kenobi]

Are you sure your political desires are really in your own best interests?

Yes. Very much so, yes. I'd rather live in an area where employers can make more money.

[DinoDoc]

The employer in this case didn't mind the presence of the Union, Ben. The fact that it still failed is what makes this hilarious.

[Ben Kenobi]

The fact that it still failed is what makes this hilarious.

Are you saying that unions don't actually benefit the worker?

I'm still not exactly sure what a union has done for me in my life, except cancel classes that I needed to attend.