Volkswagen employees In Tennessee vote to join United Autoworkers Union, Red states employees warming strongly to Union protections.

[Caswell Thomas]

Chatanooga, Tennessee Volkswagen employees voted to join the United Autoworkers Union today, A move that both surprised and alarmed key Republican leaders who see the warming of former anti union workers to form and/or join powerful Unions as a way to.protect the wages and benefits they.lost under Republican leaders they elected  as a very possible stab in their voting re-election chances versus more liberal pro union candidates. 

In fact it is so alarming because it us not happening in just onevstate...but all across the southern states with Tennessee's vote the beginning of a major political change in what previously had been solid red states.  Then too, the wishy washy in fighting of the Republican Party that can't even seem to rid itself of a self absorbed bunch of juvenile delinquents  are blocking all.progress on their needs and issues while funneling all donations to the party instead to the leader of the delinquents and pay off his personal legal fees . 

[herbie]

Next hing them coomies will be wantin's a minimum wage fer everyone.
Send in the Tennessee Nashnul Guard. Let's git 'em boys! Yee Haw!

[ironstone]

The UAW has declined quite a bit from it's peak in 1979 though. The US population has certainly grown substantially since that time, but membership has been shrinking.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/09/15/uaw-membership-numbers-through-years/70865885007/

It still seems to be in decline. From 1.5 million in 1979, down to 370,000 presently.

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/uaw-membership-fell-33-2023-370000-workers-2024-03-29/

Some things never change with unions :  https://www.autonews.com/static/section/content01.htm

The word union and corruption often go hand in hand.

 

[User]

From my personal experience, knowing a lot of people who worked in Union shops... they are great if you have seniority, and suck for anyone else. Oh, you want to be a level B employee instead of C? Maybe in 5 years... maybe not. Layoffs? Ha ha sucker, all you level C go first! 

No hope of ever advancing unless someone above you moves. 

Absurd restrictions on your work, that are dictated by negotiations through the Union. You can't just show up and agree to take on more work for more pay. Oh, you want to run that piece of equipment over to someone? Oh no, that is Joes job, only Joe does that. You can't do that. 

No incentives to ever do more or work hard, as your pay will never change. If you can make 100 widgets an hour while others only make 40... it doesn't matter. In fact, most of the others will hate you because you are making them look bad. 

Is the Assembly line backed up somewhere? You get to stand around for hours and do nothing. Because you are not allowed to do anything else. Just stand there. Play on your phone. 

[impartialobserver]

was in a union once and i will make it short and succinct... overrated. 

[reason10]

On 4/24/2024 at 7:04 PM, Caswell Thomas said:

Chatanooga, Tennessee Volkswagen employees voted to join the United Autoworkers Union today, A move that both surprised and alarmed key Republican leaders who see the warming of former anti union workers to form and/or join powerful Unions as a way to.protect the wages and benefits they.lost under Republican leaders they elected  as a very possible stab in their voting re-election chances versus more liberal pro union candidates. 

In fact it is so alarming because it us not happening in just onevstate...but all across the southern states with Tennessee's vote the beginning of a major political change in what previously had been solid red states.  Then too, the wishy washy in fighting of the Republican Party that can't even seem to rid itself of a self absorbed bunch of juvenile delinquents  are blocking all.progress on their needs and issues while funneling all donations to the party instead to the leader of the delinquents and pay off his personal legal fees . 

To bring you and your misleading OPINION piece up to speed with reality, NO red state has outlawed unions. The superior Red State of Florida may have the most effective unions in the country because they have to COMPETE in the free market for members. The state doesn't get to pick a single union and force ALL workers to either join that union or starve, (like inferior blue states do.)

In Florida it's called RIGHT TO WORK laws.

Yes, we have successful unions here. But they offer better perks, better protections. And Florida's economy is better than that of ANY blue state. We have reasonable tax law (NO STATE INCOME TAXES) and the cost of living is lower here than high taxes NO RIGHT TO WORK blue states.

If Tennessee wants to become the Soviet Union and FORCE workers to join a government approved union or starve, that only worries us in Florida because Tennesseans would be flocking to Florida in boatloads.

[herbie]

Govt approved unions... Ayeeh yahh...

[Matthew]

I think we'll be seeing more of this. It's conceivable that the republican party could be ideologically on track to become a de facto socialist party.

They've already mobilized large swathes of the working class, while also alienating large swathes of the educated and professional class. The longer that working class populism survives, the higher odds that the messaging will gravitate more solidly against the country's economic elites. Railing against working class immigrate migrant farm workers as their main fear tactic will only work for so long.

[reason10]

On 6/24/2024 at 11:28 PM, Matthew said:

I think we'll be seeing more of this. It's conceivable that the republican party could be ideologically on track to become a de facto socialist party.

They've already mobilized large swathes of the working class, while also alienating large swathes of the educated and professional class. The longer that working class populism survives, the higher odds that the messaging will gravitate more solidly against the country's economic elites. Railing against working class immigrate migrant farm workers as their main fear tactic will only work for so long.

You need to learn the definition of socialism.

The Republicans have always been the party of the working man. Republican policies always made life better for those who work for a living. Republicans kept workers' taxes low, gasoline prices low, and jobs secure. That's not a socialist model. That's called doing your job in government.

Republicans have NEVER railed against working class IMMIGRANTS, by which we mean LEGAL IMMIGRANTS. Florida Senator Marco Rubio is the son of CUBAN immigrants. We have ZERO problem with productive people LEGALLY emigrating to our shores, to enhance our economy.

 

It's the goose stepping DemoNazis who invited these animals

to bring drugs, crime and voter FRAUD to our shores, while sucking up our  welfare taxes.

These animals are NOT immigrants, and only one with shit for brains would think otherwise.

On 4/29/2024 at 1:35 PM, impartialobserver said:

was in a union once and i will make it short and succinct... overrated. 

Same here.

 

[BeaverFever]

On 4/25/2024 at 3:19 PM, User said:

From my personal experience, knowing a lot of people who worked in Union shops... they are great if you have seniority, and suck for anyone else. Oh, you want to be a level B employee instead of C? Maybe in 5 years... maybe not. Layoffs? Ha ha sucker, all you level C go first! 

No hope of ever advancing unless someone above you moves. 

Absurd restrictions on your work, that are dictated by negotiations through the Union. You can't just show up and agree to take on more work for more pay. Oh, you want to run that piece of equipment over to someone? Oh no, that is Joes job, only Joe does that. You can't do that. 

No incentives to ever do more or work hard, as your pay will never change. If you can make 100 widgets an hour while others only make 40... it doesn't matter. In fact, most of the others will hate you because you are making them look bad. 

Is the Assembly line backed up somewhere? You get to stand around for hours and do nothing. Because you are not allowed to do anything else. Just stand there. Play on your phone. 

Yeah that’s pretty much what Ive observed too, having previously worked in a company that had unions (I was not in a union). 
 

That said, many companies deserve unions the way they mistreat and take advantage of workers. Being a keener who finds other ways to be useful when the assembly line stops, completing more pieces than your peers or running parts instead of Joe doesn’t earn you any additional recognition or pay. 

 

IMO Unions are not ideal in workplaces where workers need to make discretionary effort in the day to day activities and they are notorious for resulting in terrible and rude customer service in roles that are public facing. 
 

In a unionized workplace, the employee-employer relationship is intentionally adversarial by design, with each side agreeing to only provide the contractual bare minimum without exception. The employer has less power over its workers which provides workers with additional job security,  pay and benefits and redress of grievances compared to non-union equivalents. The trade-off is as you listed above. 
 

Not to make every thread about the US election but it’s interesting to see that for the first time ever, the historically anti-Union Republican Party had the president of the Teamsters speak at RNC where he gave denounced corporate elites and union-busting to largely silent and confused audience. One political commentator joked that he must have attended the wrong party’s convention by mistake 

[herbie]

Yeah I lost a $13 hr kid years ago who went to work at the mill because his Dad made $30 an hour there. He quit after his first cheque because he only got $19 starting rate. Seniority was bullshit, ta know!

Also worked union jobs where I made my way to the top rate. Then when applying for posts the guy who'd been there 5 rs longer was supposed to get the job because he had seniority over me.
Only they didn't because Ohm's Law was too hard to figure out for them. And all the griping they did to the Shop Steward didn't help.

On the other hand I worked at places the kid got $2 an hour more than me because he was the Boss's nephew. Or bought the Boss's beer at Pub lunches, or just sucked up incessantly.
And I even worked one where they abided by a competitor's union  contract and paid us 25c an hour more to NOT join the union.

In this case, you're talking about an auto plant, and in assembly line work unless they're gonna outdo the union rate you're some kind of stupid not to go union.

[Aristides]

Who would want to work in a place that had guaranteed raises as you gained years of service and experience. Give your  head a shake.

[User]

1 hour ago, Aristides said:

Who would want to work in a place that had guaranteed raises as you gained years of service and experience. Give your  head a shake.

Wrong way to look at it. 

Such a place means that no matter how hard you work, no matter how much value you create, you will be treated the same as everyone else and make only the minimum contracted raises... and that is only IF you can outlast everyone else through layoffs as the more senior people never leave and you are stuck at the bottom. 

There are also quotas on how many senior positions there are... so, no, just because you stay doesn't always mean a raise. 

No thanks. 

 

[Matthew]

4 hours ago, User said:

no matter how hard you work, no matter how much value you create, you will be treated the same as everyone else and make only the minimum

This describes most working class jobs. But having a negotiated contract obviously yields higher average pay and benefits for the workers than having no such contract, in addition to better working conditions and job security.

Edited August 13 by Matthew

[Aristides]

On 8/12/2024 at 9:49 PM, Matthew said:

This describes most working class jobs. But having a negotiated contract obviously yields higher average pay and benefits for the workers than having no such contract, in addition to better working conditions and job security.

5 day, 40 hr work week, sick pay, paid vacations, safer work places, equal pay for people in the same job category (particularly for women who are typically paid less in non union jobs), Maternity leave and job protection. A few of the  things today's workers owe to unions. Does anyone really think those things would have happened if workers hadn't organized?