Volkswagen isn't opposed to a union, but Republicans are threatening jobs

[700UW]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/02/12/1276971/-Volkswagen-isn-t-opposed-to-a-union-but-Republicans-are-threatening-jobs?detail=facebook

 

State Senator Bo Watson, who represents a suburb of Chattanooga, warned on Monday that if VW’s workers voted to embrace the U.A.W., the Republican-controlled Legislature might vote against approving future incentives to help the plant expand.
“The members of the Tennessee Senate will not view unionization as in the best interest of Tennessee,” Mr. Watson said at a news conference. He added that a pro-U.A.W. vote would make it “exponentially more challenging” for the legislature to approve future subsidies.
 

 

 

[Glenn Quagmire]

U.S. senator (Bob Corker - R -TN) drops bombshell during VW plant union vote.


"I've had conversations today and based on those am assured that should the workers vote against the UAW, Volkswagen will announce in the coming weeks that it will manufacture its new mid-size SUV here in Chattanooga," said Corker, without saying with whom he had the conversations.

In the past few weeks, Volkswagen officials have made several statements that the vote will have no bearing on whether the SUV will be made at the Chattanooga plant or at a plant in Puebla, Mexico.

National Labor Relations Board expert Kenneth G. Dau-Schmidt, who is professor of labor at the University of Indiana-Bloomington, said Corker was trying to intimidate workers into voting against the union.

"I'm really kind of shocked at Corker's statement," said Dau-Schmidt. "It's so inconsistent with what VW has been saying and VW's labor relations policy in general."

"The Indiana professor also said Corker's comments "would be grounds to set the election aside and have to run it all over again at a later date" because it could be ruled to be interfering to the point that it is against federal labor law."

http://news.yahoo.com/tennessee-senator-says-vw-product-way-uaw-union-022622568--sector.html

 

[Kev3188]

Here's a novel idea; how 'bout letting the employees decide?

 

[700UW]

 

[Knotbuyinit]

And here I am thinking that unions were opposed to the government giving tax breaks to corporations.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-vw-unions-uaw-republicans-crony-capitalism-20140212,0,7108450.story#ixzz2tEIlsBP3
 
Organized labor has become a fixture in U.S. politics and elections, donating money and manpower mainly to Democratic candidates. So it shouldn't surprise anyone when Republican officeholders try to persuade workers not to join a union.
 
I made a statement not too long ago that Democrats were giving UNIONIZED government employees inflated salaries as a way of "self-funding" at the taxpayers' expense.
 
I made a statement that ALL UNIONS opened the door for political backlash when they started using UNION dues to fund the Democratic Party.
 
People on this forum were trying to convince me that it was illegal for UNIONS to fund politicians and my accusations were baseless.
 
I would like to ask those same people what they say now.

 

[Kev3188]

I'll say this:
 
It is illegal to directly fund one. It is not illegal to do so via a vehicle like the MNPL.
 
That said, I have zero interest in union continuing to support/endorse/whatever a democratic candidate simply because they have a "D" after their name. I don't agree with much of what Trumka says, but when he said those days were over, I was glad to hear it. Now let's see if Labor sticks to that...
 
W/R/T to VW in Tenn.? The idea of corporate blackmail shouldn't surprise anyone on here; we just saw it on a larger scale in SEA, and I'm sure as long as there are RW ideologues in positions of power, we'll continue to do so. Hopefully, the workers do what THEY feel is best for their futures, and act accordingly.

 

[southwind]

And here I am thinking that unions were opposed to the government giving tax breaks to corporations.

Yeah..............I seem to remember someone on this board , 700uw , recently as the last few days, voicing their dis-pleasure with corporations getting tax breaks! WTF?
 
 Guess it's ok to give tax incentives to corporations, as long as their workforce is unionized! No double standard there!

 

[Kev3188]

So is it fair to say you & I are both against corporate welfare (regardless of whether or not a company is unionized)?
 
How 'bout that it's wrong for politicians to try and blackmail employees into voting one way or the other?

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

I'll say this:
 
It is illegal to directly fund one. It is not illegal to do so via a vehicle like the MNPL.
 
That said, I have zero interest in union continuing to support/endorse/whatever a democratic candidate simply because they have a "D" after their name. I don't agree with much of what Trumka says, but when he said those days were over, I was glad to hear it. Now let's see if Labor sticks to that...
 
W/R/T to VW in Tenn.? The idea of corporate blackmail shouldn't surprise anyone on here; we just saw it on a larger scale in SEA, and I'm sure as long as there are RW ideologues in positions of power, we'll continue to do so. Hopefully, the workers do what THEY feel is best for their futures, and act accordingly.

Do you believe that Democrats in blue states give government UNION employees inflated pay with the intent of channeling increased UNION dues to fund the Democratic Party and to influence government employees to keep voting Democrat at the taxpayers' expense?

 

[Kev3188]

No.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

So is it fair to say you & I are both against corporate welfare (regardless of whether or not a company is unionized)?
 
How 'bout that it's wrong for politicians to try and blackmail employees into voting one way or the other?

It is wrong to buy votes with other peoples money to Kev3188 and the Democratic Party has been doing it for years.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

No.

Would you mind adding some clarity to your answer?
 
No is to the point but not very informative.

 

[southwind]

So is it fair to say you & I are both against corporate welfare (regardless of whether or not a company is unionized)?
 
How 'bout that it's wrong for politicians to try and blackmail employees into voting one way or the other?

1. If union peeps believe corporate welfare is evil , 700 should be happy Tennessee decided to agree with him!
 
2. How 'bout it's wrong to be forced to join a union and pay dues, in order to retain employment at certain company's!

 

[Dog Wonder]

No is to the point but not very informative.

What part of it didn't you understand.