Volkswagen workers vote for union in Tennessee — a major win for organized labor.  Workers at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, voted overwhelmingly to join the United Auto Workers, becoming the first Southern autoworkers outside of the Big Three to do so in a region long resistant to unionization, the labor group announced late Friday.  The UAW declared victory as votes continued to be tallied, with its unofficial count at 2,628 for joining the union and 985 opposed, or 73% to 27%.  "Volkswagen thanks its Chattanooga workers for voting in this election," the company said in a statement acknowledging that workers had voted in favor of union representation. "We will await certification of the results by the National Labor Relations Board," the company added.  The NLRB confirmed that the VW workers had voted to join the UAW.  The results will be certified if no objections are filed within five days.

The losers in Biden's America.  Donald Trump caught flak this past week for using the term "bloodbath."  Of course, lying media misrepresented what he said as referring to a bloodbath "in the streets" if he loses the election in 2024.  Sadly, many (many) Democrats were duped, many of whom likely still believe the lie.  Auto workers, though, should take heed of what Trump really said: if Joe Biden imposes draconian emissions standards in America (which he is doing), and if China builds E.V. car plants in Mexico (which it is), and imports those cars without tariffs, there will be a bloodbath in your industry.  The Big 3 lost billions last year due to current E.V. mandates.  If you work in the industry, and want to continue to work in the industry, buck your union "management's" call to support the Democrats and Joe Biden.

UAW, Ford reach deal to avert local strike at Kentucky truck plant.  The United Auto Workers union and Ford said Wednesday they reached a tentative deal, averting a strike over local issues at the automaker's Kentucky truck plant.  UAW said the deal addressed issues related to "skilled trades, health & safety, and ergonomics" at the plant, which it identified as Ford's most profitable, that had workers prepared to walk off of the job if necessary.  UAW Local 862's Evan Palmer said the main issues in the local negotiations focused on getting a minimum nurse staffing in the plant and improving the culture in skilled trades.

UAW President: 'A Great Majority' of Union Workers 'Will Not Vote' for Biden.  United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain said "a great majority" of American union workers in the auto industry "will not vote for" President Joe Biden against presumptive Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump. [...] Fain's remarks came immediately after he announced the UAW was endorsing Biden for reelection this year against Trump, despite the White House's green energy agenda, which would crush the American auto industry with plant closures, outsourcing, and millions of jobs lost.  Biden's record on trade and China, similarly, has been in stark contrast to the interest of American auto workers.  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, for example, has made it clear that the Biden administration is "not attempting to decouple from China."  At the same time, China now leads the world as the largest exporter of cars partially thanks to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) dominating electric vehicle (EV) supply chains.

UAW Sharpening the Knives:  Eyeing Tesla, Toyota, VW.  Well, you knew United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain was going to be feeling invincible after laying siege to the D-3 this fall.  He got most of what he wanted after successfully pulling off a simultaneous multi-pronged attack on all of the major car manufacturers at once.  You also know [quite] well that the major auto makers who remained union-free were going to beef up their offerings to their workers, simply because they had a good sense of what number was next on the UAW's dance card. [...] Elon Musk has been winning battles against labor unions lately, scoring two big ones in recent weeks.  In Sweden, he's momentarily triumphed over what he called an "insane" war against the company by a whole galaxy of labor union rogues banding together against his non-union repair shops.

Reaching out to union members.  There are few if any grievance groups more wedded to the Democrat Party than unions. [...] Take the UAW contract recently ratified by Ford and General Motors.  Much of what workers were fighting for was increased pay, due in large part to Bidenflation.  Workers' pay in all industries hasn't kept up with inflation.  While on the surface one might say that it is a good thing to bring workers' wages on par with inflation, it will drastically increase the cost of the products they produce, placing further upward pressure on inflation.  Ford and GM, at the time of their negotiating with the UAW, announced massive losses, due in large part to Joe Biden's Electric Vehicle mandates.  Auto companies are being forced to increase production of EVs as consumers are signaling that they don't want EVs.  It will not end well for Detroit and expect to see a government auto-industry bailout before the end of Joe Biden's term, increasing inflation further still.

Joe Biden Chose Billionaires and Green Radicals Over Auto Workers.  "President Biden is the most pro-union president in history" has become the White House's go-to response to the recent strike that had upturned American auto manufacturing. [...] The White House took a victory lap for "solving" a crisis that was Biden's own making.  At a press conference Monday, the president called the deal "yet another piece of good economic news showing something I've always believed."  But it was Biden's own policies, seeking to radically transform the American auto industry at the behest of environmental activists and their corporate cronies, that spurred on the strike.  But Joe has never been one to let the facts get in the way of a good narrative.  The strikes backed Biden into a corner.  On one side, you had the unholy alliance of auto executives and green radicals, and on the other, the blue-collar voters Biden likely needs for reelection.  This was destined from the start to be a political mess, so the President dusted off his most trusty tactic:  Lying.  Biden would claim that he was the savior of it all.

United Auto Workers reach tentative deal with GM, ending 6-week strike.  The United Auto Workers (UAW) reached a deal on Monday with the last of the Big Three automakers, ending their strike that started in September, according to multiple reports.  The UAW reached a tentative deal with General Motors, ending the strike that began when the union workers' current contracts expired on Sept. 14, according to the Associated Press.  The other two automakers targeted by the strikes — Ford and Stellantis — reached a tentative deal on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively, after the targeted strike resulted in over 40 different facilities between the Big Three automakers being shut down by worker walk-outs.

Clinton's labor secretary is the bad penny that always turns up.  Robert Reich, who once held the Secretary of Labor position under Bill Clinton, [...] conveniently fails to mention that the basic reason the workers are asking for huge wage increases and renegotiations is because Biden's energy and other policies have greatly increased inflation and wage growth hasn't kept up.  For examples, the UAW wants a huge raise (40% over four years which amounts to 46% compounded), pay for 40-hour workweeks despite only putting in 32 hours of work, cost-of-living increases, and "beefed-up" retirement benefits — that will be great for reducing productivity and increasing inflation.  If Reich and other Democrats really cared about real wages and workers, they would have supported Trump's policies of lower taxes, fewer regulations, and energy independence — real wages for everyone, including union workers, were rising rapidly because inflation was low.  But Democrats didn't support those policies.  They sought to disrupt and destroy Trump every day.

The UAW should be going on strike against Biden, not Ford and GM.  The UAW didn't save the American automobile industry in 2008, it helped nationalize it.  And the Obama and Biden administrations used that leverage over the automobile industry to promote the Silicon Valley and environmentalist agenda of eliminating cars and replacing them with EVs.  Electric vehicles mark the death knell of the middle class.  For Wall Street, EV companies like Tesla, funded by government fines on ordinary car manufacturers and buyers, offer the promise of getting in on the ground floor of a booming stock.  Tesla has been followed by a series of other tech EV firms like Rivian (heavily backed by George Soros) that are not financially viable.  Rivian, at one point, was spending $220,000 to make cars that it sold for $81,000.  But environmentalists are in love with EVs because they will end mass ownership of automobiles.  The Biden administration, following the lead of Democrat states, is moving to end most sales of real cars by the 2030s.  By 2032, 67% of cars are meant to be electric.  And since 53% of Americans can't afford EVs, that means most of the country won't be able to own cars.

UAW's Real Enemy Is Forced EV Conversion.  Speaking at a convention in April, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain identified what he considered the union's "one and only true enemy — multibillion-dollar corporations and employers that refuse to give our members their fair share."  He may be attacking the wrong enemy.  The UAW is now engaged in a strike of historic proportions against America's big three auto manufacturers:  GM, Ford, and Stellantis (owner of Chrysler).  But it's the Democratic Party's climate activists who pose the most significant threat to American auto workers today — the forced transformation of the U.S. auto industry from gas to electric-powered vehicles (EVs).  As for the strike, the UAW's demands include a stunning 40% pay raise over the next four years.  According to CEO Jim Farley, that increase would put Ford "out of business."  Yet, in a response that hardly seems miserly, Ford has offered a 20% increase over the life of the contract and an immediate 10% increase.

Fast Times at The UAW Picket Line.  The Biden administration has repeatedly tried to paint itself as "the most pro-union" administration in US history.  While he did vocally support unionization efforts at Amazon warehouses and issued an executive order authorizing the creation of a labor task force to protect unionization efforts, he also infamously forced rail worker unions to take a deal with rail companies they voted against.

GM's Mary Barra not worth $30 million.  It was in 2008 that General Motors went broke and was bailed out by the taxpayers (we eventually got back about $40 billion of the $50 billion we put in) thanks to years of outrageous UAW union contracts.  It seems GM CEOs did not have the courage to stand up for their shareholders and the company eventually went under.  Now the UAW is back again, demanding the automakers pay their workers a 40% increase and go to a 32-hour work week.  They also want to go back to "defined benefit" pension plans, that wrecked the Teamster's pensions a few years ago.  When the current GM CEO said this was ridiculous, the union said she was also massively overpaid, getting about $30 million a year.  Both sides could be right.  Barra claims she gets all that money based on her "performance."  Not sure how GM measures this.

UAW Files Complaint Against Tim Scott for Suggesting Auto Workers Be Fired.  United Auto Workers (UAW) has filed a labor complaint against Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) after he suggested that auto workers be fired for lawfully striking against General Motors (GM), Ford, and Stellantis.  Thousands of UAW members are currently on strike against the Big Three, pushing to secure a new labor contract that includes wage increases to keep up with inflation and commitments that their jobs will not be eliminated by President Joe Biden's Electric Vehicles (EVs) agenda.

General Motors lays off 2,000 workers at Kansas assembly plant after workers at facility in Detroit went on strike.  General Motors announced 2,000 layoffs and closed their Kansas plant on Wednesday, claiming there is 'no work' due to a strike at another plant.  The car manufacturer said the corresponding strike involving 13,000 workers in Detroit, who downed tools last week, had led to the fresh job cuts.  GM also said it would not provide supplemental unemployment benefits 'due to the specific circumstances of this situation.'

The Auto Union is About to Wreck the American Car Industry — Again.  The United Auto Workers Union is demanding an unprecedented 40 percent increase.  The automakers have offered 20 Percent.  Any worker in America would see a 40 percent increase in pay as a lot.  Using the current pay at $50,000 per year, a 40 percent increase would put the new pay at $70,000.  A 20 percent increase would increase the average annual wage to $60,500.  The smaller increase is more than the inflation rate.  That means it would be a positive gain for the worker.  But wait!  The UAW wants a drop in the work week from 40 hours to 32 hours.  That is essentially a full day off.  That moves the hourly pay from around $28 today to approximately $43.  That would be closer to a 65 percent increase in the hourly pay.

Stellantis tells UAW they'll reopen that plant the union's so hep on.  This may not be shaking out the way the United Auto Workers envisioned after all.  Yeah, their president got to talk tough, and they walked out with a new strategy, striking all 3 major automakers at the same time, one facility at a time.  Striking a blow for the little guy may wind up costing lots of little guys.  Part of the union demands to carmaker Stellantis (Jeep and Chrysler among a myriad of other brands) pre-walkout included reopening the Belvidere, IL assembly plant.  It closed down in February of this year as Jeep Cherokee sales dried up.  The facility is massive.

What's Behind the UAW Strike.  At issue are the continued low wages and benefits offered autoworkers — even as their employers rake in record profits, thanks in no small measure to largesse from the Biden administration, which has been funding a hoped-for transition from gas-powered to electric vehicles.  At the end of August, for example, the Biden Administration announced that $12 billion in taxpayer dollars would be showered on the auto industry, along with $3.5 billion to battery manufacturers, in order to expedite the planned obsolescence of gas-powered vehicles and the factories that produce them.  Yet somehow these monies, and previous such unlooked-for giveaways, have failed to trickle down to the people who actually make the cars.  This, in a nutshell, is the UAW's beef.  The UAW, being a wholly owned subsidiary of the Democratic Party, is not objecting to the radical Left Democrat agenda item of ending the production of gas-powered vehicles; they're just upset that their workers are unequal partners with government and corporate leaders in the sellout.

Biden accuses Big Three automakers of making 'record profits' that must be 'shared fairly' with UAW strikers.  President Biden on Friday delivered brief remarks on the United Auto Workers strike that began Thursday night, accusing auto companies of refusing to share their profits with workers.  In a televised statement, Biden said the Big Three automakers were making "record profits" that "have not been shared fairly, in my view, with workers."  "No one wants a strike," Biden said.  "But I respect workers' right to use their options under the collective bargaining system.  Autoworkers sacrificed so much to keep the industry alive and strong, especially through the economic crisis and the pandemic.  Workers deserve a fair share of the benefits they helped create for an enterprise."

Former Union President Says Auto Workers 'Feel Abandoned By The Democratic Party'.  Auto workers in Michigan are preparing to go on strike for higher wages at three major U.S. carmakers as the United Auto Workers (UAW) union criticizes President Joe Biden's handouts for the electric vehicle industry.  The UAW says workers at General Motors, Ford, and Stellanits deserve a pay raise of 36%, and unless the union can come to an agreement with the automakers by midnight Thursday, the auto workers will go on strike.  Not all of the UAW's criticisms are directed at Detroit's three major automakers; the union is also upset with the Biden administration and the Democratic Party for its subsidies to the electric vehicle industry, warning that the rush to push EVs is overlooking the security and protection of the American auto worker.

Biden's Electric Vehicle Obsession Became a Major Roadblock in Auto Worker Negotiations.  Joe Biden and the Democratic Party's obsession with electric vehicles has indirectly created a significant roadblock in the ongoing labor negotiations between United Auto Workers and America's car manufacturers.  We're on the verge of an unprecedented work stoppage in Detroit that could cost billions.  The contract is set to expire at 11:59 PM tonight.  It's not just that issue, but it's one where automakers appear to be sticking to their guns.  Union workers want a 40 percent pay increase, while car manufacturers like Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis wish to use their record profits to shore up electric vehicle production.  The union has somewhat backed off on that demand, now asking for something in the mid-30s regarding salary increases.  Some new EV models are expected to be rolled out soon — a labor strike could torpedo the rollout.  Another issue is that auto workers feel abandoned by Joe Biden and the Democrats.

Now, That's An Interesting Detail in the Ongoing Auto Workers Union Negotiations.  The potential shipping stoppage over UPS workers revolting over the lack of a new deal is ancient history, but now it's the auto workers' turn.  On Thursday, United Auto Workers will go on strike as their current contract expires with the big three, Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler), in Detroit.  Ironically, one pet project of the Left and their environmental allies is a roadblock in the ongoing negotiations:  electric cars.  The automakers want to use a chunk of their profits to increase production while their workers demand a pay raise.  The Wall Street Journal added that the UAW hopes to use these talks to reclaim the ground they were forced to concede during the financial crisis, specifically job security provisions and retirement benefits, which were forced to take a backseat.  There have been strikes before, and it's cost billions.

The U.A.W. Strike Threat Poses a Tricky Political Challenge for Biden.  With just three days until their current contract expires, nearly a hundred and fifty thousand members of the United Auto Workers (U.A.W.) union are preparing to walk out from their jobs at the Big Three automakers:  Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis (the parent company of Chrysler).  Negotiations are ongoing, but in recent days Shawn Fain, the U.A.W. president, dismissed the companies' initial contract offers as grossly inadequate.  "If we don't get our justice, I can guarantee you one thing — come this Thursday at midnight, there will be action," Fain said.  Recent years have seen a resurgence of labor activism, with strike threats from railway workers, UPS drivers, and other groups seeking to raise their wages and improve their employment conditions.  The auto workers have asked for a four-day workweek at full pay and a forty-six-per-cent wage increase over four years, as well as cost-of-living adjustments and better retirement benefits.  But their contract dispute also involves some fundamental issues about the future of the auto industry.

UAW: 46% pay raise sounds about right for starters.  The United Autoworkers contract expires on 14 September, and they are gearing up for a walk out, giving auto makers no wiggle room for contract tapdancing.  They've also change their tactics.  Where they used to pick one of the three big guys, and leave the other two hanging while they worked that one deal, not so anymore. [...] So, what exactly is the union going to the table with as far as demands go?
  •   32-hour workweek
  •   46 percent pay raise over 4 years
  •   Right to strike over plant closures
  •   Increased retiree benefits
  •   Defined pension plan for all workers
  •   Cost of living adjustments

United Auto Workers Call Out Biden's Green Agenda for Cutting Wages, Showering Automakers with Billions.  The United Auto Workers (UAW) is going after President Joe Biden's so-called "green energy" agenda for its wage-cutting outcomes while showering billions in American taxpayer money on the three largest automakers in the nation: Ford, General Motors (GM), and Stellantis.  As part of Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, passed last year, automakers are set to enjoy a massive windfall via tax credits for electric vehicles (EVs) made in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Biden's War with Prices.  America experimented with wage and price controls back in the 1970s, and the results weren't good.  We speak of wages and prices as though they were two different things.  But a wage is a price, the price of labor and services rendered; it's just one of the costs of doing business.  In his SOTU, Biden said:  "Let's... raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour."  But often, the value added to a business by the work of some individuals just isn't worth $15.  Minimum wage laws are the government dictating a price, which jacks up other prices, like for a cheeseburger.  In the sphere of wages, government intrudes into price in a variety of ways.  The bailouts of GM and Chrysler were partly about the government propping up the price of UAW labor.  Mandated employee benefits jack up the price of labor, which gets passed along to the consumer.

Ford Cancels Ohio Investment and Shifts to Electric Vehicle Production in Mexico.  The United Auto Workers are angered about a decision by Ford to move production of a new electric vehicle from Avon Lake, Ohio, into Mexico.  Ford previously agreed to spend $900 million on a new product line for the Ohio plant; however, according to the UAW the location has shifted.  One way of looking at this change in direction from Ford relates to the cost of producing electric vehicles.  First, it is far less expensive in Mexico (labor, environmental regulation, energy costs, etc); secondly, an outlook the new Biden administration will not strongly enforce USMCA compliance measures against U.S. multinational firms.  The UAW supported Joe Biden, but his policies will likely undermine their workers.  Unfortunately, this was all too predictable.  Partly because Biden-Harris owe Wall Street too much, and the multinationals are once again in control over the U.S. economy.

Biden-endorsing union furious, warns workers Ford plans to move new production to Mexico.  America's labor unions keep learning the hard way that a vote for a Democrat politician is often a vote for job-killing policies. [...] Note that UAW has three vice presidents, including Cindy Estrada and Terry Dittes.  Last September, Dittes claimed Biden was "very grounded in the struggles that UAW members and their families are facing today."  But with Biden now in office, it appears that Gamble, Kariem, Dittes, Estrada and the workers they represent are having to pay a steep price for their endorsement.  "UAW Vice President Gerald Kariem in a letter to members Friday said [Ford] told the union it was relocating manufacturing of a next-generation vehicle to Mexico without a clear explanation," The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday [3/17/2021].

Former UAW Union Boss Indicted on $1 Million Embezzlement Scheme.  In August of last year federal authorities raided the homes of United Auto Workers (UAW) President Gary Jones who was under investigation in a nationwide corruption sweep.  Today an indictment was unsealed charging Jones with embezzling more than $1 million in union funds.  His former deputy was arrested in September.

Oberlin College students, staff and community members protest layoffs of UAW workers at the school.  A large crowd comprised of Oberlin College students, employees and community members gathered Feb. 19 inside the campus' King Hall to protest the institution's recent announcement that 108 college workers could lose their jobs.  The protest, consisting of roughly over [sic] 800 people, took place during an Oberlin College faculty meeting.  The situation started with a Feb. 18 statement by Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar where she said "Oberlin (College) has notified the United Auto Workers that we are formally considering contracting with outside vendors for dining and custodial services currently provided by college employees."

The Editor says...
A reporter might say that a crowd included "roughly 800 people," or that it included "over 800 people," but the Morning Journal's editor should have filtered out the phrase, "roughly over 800 people."

Federal probe reveals United Auto Workers bosses spent '$60,000 of union dues on cigars — part of $1M in misused funds.  Former United Auto Workers President Gary Jones reportedly dropped $13,000 in union funds at an Arizona cigar shop in a single day, according to a federal complaint.  The complaint, filed in September against another union leader, mentions that an official purchased a dozen $268 boxes of Ashton Double Magnum cigars and a dozen boxes of Ashton Monarchs, costing about $275 each.  In return, the official, reported to be Jones, was sent a thank you note from the Arizona cigar shop.

United Auto Worker: 2020 Democrats' Will 'Destroy Union Jobs'; Trump 'Only Person Defending' American Workers.  A 25-year union worker with Ford Motor Company says President Donald Trump is "the only person defending" American auto workers while 2020 Democrats propose an environmental agenda that will "destroy union jobs" for the middle class.  In an op-ed for the Detroit News, United Auto Worker (UAW) member and Ford employee Melinda Rowe called out 2020 Democrats for their "zero-carbon" agenda that will further decimate the United States' auto industry in states like Ohio and Michigan.  The Green New Deal agenda of Democrat presidential candidates like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Rowe writes, would mean more profits for multinational automaker CEOs and fewer jobs for American auto workers:

UAW looks to Ford now that GM deal is done.  General Motor's four-year deal will now be used as a template in bargaining with crosstown rival Ford Motor, the union's choice for the next round of bargaining, followed by Fiat Chrysler.  "We can confirm the UAW today notified Ford it plans to negotiate with us next," Ford said in a statement. [...] A contentious 40-day strike that crippled GM's U.S. production came to an end Friday [10/25/2019] as workers approved a new contract with the company.

UAW workers ratify contract with GM.  After a bruising six-week strike that was deeply costly to General Motors and 46,000 UAW workers, the union said Friday that its membership ratified a new four-year contract with GM by a 57% to 43% margin, bringing the strike to a close.  The UAW made the declaration after the voting ended at 4 p.m.  Friday [10/25/2019].

Corrupt UAW Executives and the General Motors Strike.  According to a report in the Detroit News, UAW corruption was responsible for the General Motors strike.  UAW Secretary/Treasurer Gary Casteel and Danny Tull, the former deputy to UAW Gary Jones, are co-operating with US Federal investigators in providing information of over $1 million allegedly spent on luxuries for UAW officials.  The article cites unnamed sources and a Federal Court Affidavit by the US Labor Department.  The allegations directly implicate UAW President Jones.  Investigators uncovered sworn witnesses that allege that Jones spent UAW dues on golf clothing in Palm Springs, and that money was also spent on high-end retreats, cigars, and liquor, among other luxuries.  Jones' charity, 5 Game Changers Charity Fund, was allegedly ordered to hide the expenses[.]  UAW leaders took their GM members off the job because they lacked the credibility to sell a contract without a walkout.

Narrative Fail — Striking Michigan UAW Workers Support Trump and See Through Democrat Impeachment Scheme.  Everything about this short news segment has to be devastating to democrat candidates, party leadership, DC politicians and the DNC as a whole.  CNN went to Michigan to interview striking United Auto Workers (GM) about the current state of politics and impeachment of President Trump.  Man-o-man, do the results cut the legs out from the professional political apparatus.  First, in a seismic overall political shift the striking UAW workers support President Trump, not democrats.  Why?  Because President Trump has been calling out GM CEO Mary Barra for not negotiating a win/win.  There is no economic reason for a strike.  Second, the striking workers can see through the insufferable political agenda of the Democrats.  This outcome is devastating to the democrats overall.

Here's what GM is offering UAW workers on strike.  GM is making big money, $8 billion last year alone, and workers want a bigger slice. [...] Automakers don't want higher fixed costs.  The union also wants new products for the four factories slated to close.  GM currently has too much U.S. factory capacity, especially to build slower-selling cars.  The companies want to close the labor cost gap with workers at plants run by foreign automakers.  GM pays $63 per hour in wages and benefits compared with $50 at the foreign-owned factories. [...] Union members have great health insurance plans and workers pay about 4 percent of the cost.  Employees at large firms nationwide pay about 34 percent, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

From coercion to corruption to collapse:  The UAW's predictable demise.  The life cycle of labor unions is predictable, the late economist Sylvester Petro once wrote.  Because they are born not out of mutual exchange, but out of state-backed coercion, American unions inevitably face eventual demise triggered by their own corruption.  The aged United Auto Workers union may be approaching that moment of extinction.  After a four-year federal investigation into UAW bribes, kickbacks, and crony labor negotiations, the government has secured prison sentences for eight people connected to the union, Fiat Chrysler, and Automobiles NV, according to the Detroit News.  The feds raided six locations, including the home of UAW President Gary Jones, and say they have evidence of blatant corruption, including "wads" of cash and files that confirm long-held suspicions that the union's leaders spent workers' dues on vacations, private villas in Palm Springs, and other luxuries.

Feds Launch Raids on Homes of UAW Brass.  Happy Labor Day?  Federal authorities raided the homes of present and past union leaders in what appears to be a widening probe into corruption at the United Automobile Workers (UAW). [...] UAW leadership in a corrupt relationship with auto executives?  In the 1930s, the ancestors of those execs hired goons (and local police) to beat up striking workers.  Now they appear to have a nice, cozy sweetheart relationship.

FBI, IRS Raid UAW President Gary Jones's Home.  A raid by the FBI and IRS was conducted Wednesday at the Canton Township, Michigan, home of United Automobile Workers (UAW) president Gary Jones, federal authorities confirm.  According to the Detroit News, the raids are part of an ongoing corruption investigation into auto industry efforts to influence union negotiations.

FBI and IRS agents raid Detroit home of UAW president.  FBI and IRS agents, in a growing investigation of corruption in the US auto industry, carried out raids in at least four states, including at the homes of United Auto Workers President Gary Jones in Michigan and California home of former President Dennis Williams in California.  Investigators are probing into bribes, kickbacks and attempts by auto executives to influence labor negotiations with the UAW, a person with knowledge about the raids told DailyMail.com. [...] The union has been building a retirement home for Williams on the 1000-acre retreat facility, which was paid for with interest from a $721 million 'strike fund' mostly made up of workers dues, according to the News.

Corrupt UAW Official Was DNC Superdelegate.  A disgraced union official may have to submit his ballot to the 2020 Democratic National Convention from prison.  Former United Auto Workers vice president Norwood Jewell became the highest ranking labor official to plead guilty to violating federal labor law.  Jewell admitted to receiving luxury goods and lavish golf trips from the Chrysler executives he was supposed to be negotiating against.  He is now staring at a possible five-year prison sentence, though the Detroit News has reported that prosecutors are seeking only 15 months of jail time.  Even with the reduced sentence, Jewell may still be in federal prison when the Democrats' presidential nominating convention begins in Milwaukee.

Union Workers Stand with Trump: 'Don't Let GM Off the Hook' for Plant Closures.  The United Auto Workers — which represents thousands of American workers at General Motors — is standing with President Trump in his recent call for GM CEO Mary Barra to reopen the corporation's idled Lordstown, Ohio assembly plant.  This week, Trump called on Barra to reopen the recently closed GM Lordstown assembly plant.  The closing of the plant resulted in the immediate layoff of about 1,600 American workers and since 2017, about 4,500 American workers in Ohio have lost their jobs at GM.

President Trump Rightly Tells General Motors and UAW to Get Their Act Together.  Calling attention to the brutally obvious is a key element to President Trump's use of Twitter.  In this example President Trump (the business executive) highlights how GM is shutting an Ohio auto-plant at the same time multiple auto manufacturers are expanding operations in the U.S.

Top Ten Union Corruption Stories of the Year.  [#5]  Several persons convicted and sentenced in UAW-Chrysler play-for-pay scandal.  The fallout from indictments of several officials of the United Auto Workers and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles was heavy last year.  Back in 2015, Chrysler executives had offered money from the company-funded National Training Center to UAW negotiators in return for the union dropping certain demands during collective bargaining sessions.  Such arrangements long have been illegal under the Taft-Hartley Act.  An investigation by the FBI, IRS and Labor Department exposed this scheme.  At least a half-dozen persons were convicted and sentenced last year in the scandal, which involved some $4.5 million of bribery, fraud, embezzlement and tax evasion.

UAW Official Pleads Guilty to Receiving Bribes in Chrysler Scandal.  As if it wasn't difficult enough keeping up with the guilty pleas in the ongoing United Auto Workers-Fiat Chrysler corruption scandal, another name now can be added to the list.  On Monday, July 23, Nancy Adams Johnson, for a while the second-highest ranking official at the UAW, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan for accepting tens of thousands of dollars in illegal payments from certain Chrysler executives in return for dropping certain contract demands.  She also abused her union credit card.  Ms. Johnson had been charged in March in a five-count indictment following a joint investigation by the FBI, the IRS and the U.S. Labor Department's Office of Labor-Management Standards and Office of Inspector General.

Top Ten Union Corruption Stories of the Year.  [#7]  It was a lucrative scam while it lasted for former Fiat Chrysler Vice President Al Iacobelli, late United Auto Workers Vice President General Holifield, and Holifield's wife, Monica Morgan.  Iacobelli wrote checks from a Chrysler-funded joint company-union training center account to a nonprofit controlled by Holifield, who in turn funneled the funds to a pair of businesses controlled by his wife, who in turn used about $1.2 million to prop up the businesses and finance shopping sprees.  That didn't even include what Iacobelli stole.  A joint probe by the FBI, IRS and the Labor Department put an end to this scheme.

More Perfect Unions.  Chattanooga, home to a Volkswagen manufacturing plant with more than 1,500 hourly workers, is the Waterloo of 1930s-style organized labor.  VW decided to support the United Auto Workers (UAW) in what would have been the first successful campaign to organize employees of a foreign auto manufacturer in the American South.  For two years, management coordinated public statements with the union and let organizers into its facilities to meet with workers.  The majority of workers gave organizers signed cards signaling support.  But when the secret ballots were counted in February 2014, the unionization drive lost, 712 to 626.  What workers understand, but labor organizers apparently do not (or will not), is that the NLRA's model of hyper-adversarialism offers them much less upside than it once did and lots more downside, guaranteeing a conflict-ridden relationship with their employer and producing only short-term "gains" that, over time, reduce workers' value and opportunities.

The UAW does what it does best, spend money and lose elections.  Last week, workers at a Nissan plant in Canton, Mississippi overwhelmingly rejected years of campaigning from the UAW to receive union representation.  In a 2,224 to 1,307 vote, 63 percent of workers chose to represent themselves, continuing a strong direct relationship between the company and its employees.  Considering the membership in unions has dropped to a record low this year, unions like the UAW are frantic to combat the growing right to work trend.

Union Files Federal Complaints After Nissan Workers Overwhelmingly Reject Representation.  The United Auto Workers union has turned to federal labor regulators to boost its campaign in the south after workers overwhelmingly rejected its bid to unionize a Mississippi plant.  Nissan workers in Canton voted 2,244 to 1,307 against unionization, dealing a blow to the UAW's bid to establish a footprint in right to work Mississippi.  The union filed a slew of unfair labor practice complaints to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) as the two-day secret ballot election drew to a close on Friday.  The complaints allege that the company's management violated federal labor law by threatening to close the plant or otherwise cut wages, benefits, or jobs if workers voted to join the union.

That Nissan UAW Vote Was Kind Of A Big Deal.  This is starting to turn into a repeating pattern, at least in the south and most right-to-work states.  When a business gets up and running, creating a significant number of manufacturing jobs, the unions begin moving in and attempting to force votes to convert the plants into union shops even if the workers seem to be quite content with the working conditions and compensation they've negotiated with management.  That happened once again at the Nissan plant in Mississippi, where a bitterly fought campaign led to a unionization vote this past week.  And once again the workers said "no thank you" to the union label by a better than two to one margin.

Nissan workers soundly reject UAW representation in Mississippi.  Workers at Nissan's plant in Canton, Miss., soundly rejected UAW representation after a multiyear union organizing campaign, delivering a major blow to the union's organizing efforts in the South.  Sixty-three percent of workers who voted, or 2,244 out of 3,551, cast their ballot against the UAW in an election that spanned two days.  "With this vote, the voice of Nissan employees has been heard.  They have rejected the UAW and chosen to self-represent, continuing the direct relationship they enjoy with the company," Nissan said in a news release.

Tesla's Elon Musk claims UAW behind reports of employee union push.  Elon Musk, the billionaire head of Tesla, defended his company against reports that factory workers were "talking about unionizing," saying that the man claiming to be an overworked employee is likely being paid by the UAW.  Jose Moran, who says he is an employee at Tesla's Fremont, Calif. factory, wrote in a post on Medium that the company expects "excessive mandatory overtime" and employees make between $17 and $21 an hour, not the $25.58 he says is the average in the auto industry.

UAW seeks to join Trump in effort to dismantle NAFTA.  For years, the UAW has railed against NAFTA and other free trade agreements while Republicans have generally supported free trade deals. [...] UAW President Dennis Williams said Thursday the union hoped to work with the incoming President-elect Donald Trump to change, fix or dismantle the North American Free Trade Agreement.  "I am prepared to sit down and talk to him about trade.  NAFTA is a problem.  It is a huge problem to the American people," Williams said today [11/10/2016] in Detroit.

United Auto Workers endorses Clinton over Trump.  The United Auto Workers Union endorsed Hillary Clinton on Wednesday [5/25/2016], touting the Democratic front-runner as the "best choice for our members and our nation in the November election."  The endorsement could be seen as a slight to presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, who is expected to make a significant push for working class workers in states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio, areas with high concentrations of UAW workers.  Trump, the head of UAW said, did not return a questionnaire to the union.  "Hillary Clinton understands our issues on trade, understands the complexities of multinational economies and supports American workers, their families and communities," Dennis Williams, UAW president, said in a statement.  "Mr. Trump clearly does not support the economic security of UAW families."

Volkswagen Will Take UAW Vote to Court.  Volkswagen is pushing back against the UAW campaign to unionize a subset of workers in right-to-work Tennessee in a case that is bound for federal court.  The company says it will appeal a National Labor Relations Board ruling that would allow skilled maintenance workers to organize.  The NLRB, which oversees all union elections, approved the December election results in April.  Volkswagen spokesman Scott Wilson said the union should not be able to cherry pick and divide workers within the plant in order to organize the factory piecemeal.  The company plans to appeal the NLRB decision in federal court.

Labor Department issues new rule to prop up unions.  [Scroll down]  One of the biggest examples in recent history was the fight by the UAW to unionize the workers at the Chattanooga VW plant.  The initial effort failed in 2014, but not for a lack of effort on the part of the unions. [...] I was down there on the ground in Chattanooga for large portions of that fight and I can tell you that the union advocates (who were not employees at the plant, by the way, but paid UAW staffers sent in from outside) were everywhere.  They freely went in and out of the plant, speaking to not only the workers, but the management.  They showed up in local bars buying rounds of drinks and talking up the UAW.  They were lobbying the heck out of everyone in the state legislature and pitching to every local news reporter who would give them the time of day.  Were they required to "disclose" the identity and activities of all these people?  Of course not.  They could simply run roughshod over the locals, pretending they were simply concerned citizens.

Socialist Bernie Sanders Woos Muslims During Visit to Dearbornistan.  "When he talks about shutting the door of America to Muslims, all he's talking about is scapegoating minorities," Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders told a diverse crowd of local residents at the UAW Local 600 hall in Dearborn.  "We will not accept that bait."  Local 600 Vice President Tony Richard told The Arab American News that Sanders' speech resonated well with not only the local UAW, which represents 9,000 Ford workers, but with the Detroit community and local Muslim residents as well.

Detroit-to-Mexico Shift Predicted After Auto Union's Big Victory.  The most lucrative contract negotiations for the United Auto Workers in more than a decade won't add a lot to carmakers' costs, even though each company committed $2 billion or more for raises, bonus money and benefits.  In exchange for improving pay and health care, General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV can boost production of a few cheaper, lower-margin passenger cars in Mexico, where employees average about $5 an hour compared with as much as $29 an hour in U.S. factories.

United Auto Workers reaches tentative labor deal with General Motors.  The United Auto Workers has struck a tentative labor deal with General Motors, avoiding a strike that would have dented the company's U.S. production and clearing the path for members to vote on the proposal, which sets pay and benefits for the next four years.

Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Deal Framed To Destroy Thousands of UAW Jobs.  The TPP Trade Deal is looming closer to becoming a finalized reality.  Current negotiations center around Auto Manufacturing, and Japanese negotiators have constructed an outline that would devastate what remains of the U.S. Auto industry.  Unfortunately the K-Street lobbyists, funded by Wall Street through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, have already greased the legislative skids to all but guarantee the elimination of thousands of jobs.  Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue gave Senators $18 million in bribe money to insure passage.

UAW rejects Fiat Chrysler contract; strikes loom.  Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV's U.S. workers soundly rejected a four-year contract the automaker had agreed with the UAW, the union said on Thursday [10/1/2015], setting the stage for at least localized strikes against the automaker.  The tentative agreement was voted down by 65 percent of the 40,000 unionized workers who work at the 37 plants of Fiat Chrysler, the smallest of the three major Detroit automakers.

UAW chooses Fiat Chrysler as target in contract talks.  The United Auto Workers union said Sunday that it chose Fiat Chrysler as its target company in ongoing contract negotiations with Detroit automakers.

Fiat Chrysler Has a Lot Riding on UAW Talks.  As contract negotiations with the United Auto Workers enter the home stretch, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCAU) has more at stake than its larger peers.  One of the central issues in this summer's talks is a two-tier wage structure that has been in place for eight years.  Anyone hired after 2007 is paid up to $19 an hour as Tier 2 employees, while veteran workers in Tier 1 receive around $28 an hour.  Many in the industry believe the system helped automakers control costs and add thousands of employees at U.S. factories.

The Show Me the Money State.  Missouri's second highest elected official blasted Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon for accepting lucrative union campaign donations after vetoing right to work legislation.  Nixon received $50,000 from the United Auto Workers union just days after vetoing legislation that would have ended the practice of coercive unionism in the state.  Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder demanded a refund, criticizing the seeming quid pro quo.

SC Gov. Haley predicts workers at planned Volvo plant will drive UAW away.  Volvo's choice of right-to-work state South Carolina for its $500 million assembly plant puts the Swedish car maker on a collision course with the United Auto Workers, but Gov. Nikki Haley predicts the union will be the latest labor organization to find itself unwelcome in the Palmetto State.

United No Longer.  Alabama factory workers voted for the fifth time in two years to break ties with the UAW on Tuesday [5/19/2015].  Workers at NTN-Bower voted 74-52 to boot the union off the premises of the manufacturer, making it the third time anti-union employees have beaten UAW Local 1990 in the last 18 months.  Local 1990 did not respond to request for comment.

UAW fails (for now) to strip VW employees of secret-ballot election.  Given their very public (and political) push for the hallucinogenically-devised scheme known as "card check," if unions had their way, employees' right to vote in secret-ballot elections on whether or not to be unionized would be eliminated.  Although card check failed as a matter of public policy several years ago, unions still often try to push their way into companies without employees voting on the matter.  Such is the case of the United Auto Workers (UAW) at Volkswagen in Chattanooga, TN, this week.

UAW teachers branch joins boycott of Israel.  A local branch of the United Auto Workers has become the first U.S. labor organization to join the international movement to boycott Israel, according to liberal groups.  UAW Local 2865, which represents teaching assistants at the University of California, voted to join it on Dec. 4, saying that Israel was engaging in "ongoing human rights violations" against the Palestinians.

The Kentucky County That Builds the Corvette Is About to Become Right-to-Work.  The momentum for right-to-work measures at the local level across the country might be gaining steam:  Kentucky's Warren County — which includes Bowling Green — just passed a local right-to-work ordinance.  A 5-1 bipartisan majority of the country legislature voted to make union dues voluntary for private-sector workers.  The measure comes up for a second and final reading next week.  If it passes, then unions will lose the ability to compel workers in Warren County (home to a sizeable GM plant) to pay union dues — at least until the inevitable court challenge.

UAW Organizes Desperate Measures.  United Auto Worker union bosses are seeking help from concerns outside the United States in their desperate attempt to bring Volkwagen workers under their thumb.

UAW Puts Out List of 'Scabs' in Tennessee.  The United Auto Workers distributed a list of "scab" workers to members at a plant in right to work Tennessee in an effort to intimidate non-union workers, according to one longtime GM employee.  UAW Local 1853 published a "Scab Report," listing the names and work stations of more than 40 workers at the Spring Hill General Motors plant.  The list has found its way into the plant, according to a photo obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.  "The following individuals are NON-dues paying workers.  They have chosen to STOP paying Union Dues and still reap the rewards of your negotiated benefits," the sign says.  "If you work near one of these people listed please explain the importance of Solidarity and the power of collective bargaining."

United Auto Workers: Chattanooga's Creepy Stalker.  Chattanooga was in that position in February of this year with the United Auto Workers (UAW).  Ever since Volkswagen opened its American manufacturing headquarters in Chattanooga in 2011, the UAW has been the city's heavy-breathing suitor.  Give them this:  the union has been very persistent.

Despite roadblocks, UAW finds a new path in the South.  In a move that is unusual but not unprecedented, the United Auto Workers union has sidestepped its loss in a worker vote in February and created a local union to represent workers at the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee.  And what's surprising, considering decades of fierce anti-union efforts from the other foreign-transplant automakers in the South, this time the union has the tacit approval of Volkswagen itself.

Large majority of car manufacturing now in right-to-work states.  Even before Michigan passed a right-to-work law in 2012, U.S. car manufacturing was drifting south to places like Tennessee that had long had the law.  A study shows just how far the shift has happened:  An estimated 70 percent of domestic car and car parts manufacturing is now located in right-to-work states.  That is the finding of a National Institute for Labor Relations Research analysis released Monday [6/16/2014].  Right-to-work laws prevent unions and businesses from negotiating contracts that require all of the business' employees to either belong to the union or at least pay it a fee.  Currently 24 states have versions of the law.

Unaccountable UAW Bosses Avoid Secret-Ballot Vote In Order To Hit Members With A 25% Dues Hike.  After dumping up to $5 million on the failed effort to unionize workers at Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant — and untold millions more on the efforts to unionize other 'transnationals' in the U.S. — as expected, United Auto Workers' bosses got their way on Tuesday [6/4/2014] by getting UAW convention delegates in Detroit to pass a 25% dues hike on the UAW's 390,000 members.  However, in a move that holds UAW convention delegates unaccountable to their local union members (or the members' wishes), Bob King and his fellow UAW bosses conducted a voice vote — as opposed to a secret-ballot vote, or a roll-call vote.

The UAW, Neo-Nazis, and Jesse Jackson: Chattanooga's Successes Bring Unwanted Guests.  People genuinely like to live here, and Chattanoogans have rolled out the welcome mat for folks to come share in the fun.  Whether you're a tourist, an entrepreneur, or an established business looking to open a new location, you can expect to be greeted with enthusiasm and open arms.  However, Chattanooga is now learning that local successes also attract unwanted guests — and they've been showing up quite often as of late.  The first wave of undesirable visitors came in the form of the United Auto Workers (UAW).

UAW drops NLRB case to organize Volkswagen.  The United Auto Workers has dropped its challenge of a vote to organize workers at Volkswagen's only U.S. plant that went against the union.  The National Labor Relations Board was set to start a hearing Monday [4/21/2014] on the UAW's complaint that Republican politicians improperly interfered before the Feb. 14 vote at the Chattanooga, Tenn. plant, which the union lost 712 to 626.

Labor Fascism in Chattanooga.  As the labor movement tells the story, two months ago, the silly, ungrateful Volkswagen factory workers in Tennessee foolishly rejected the generous invitation of the company and the United Auto Workers to welcome the Detroit-killing union with open arms.  In an election supervised by the federal National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the workers in VW's Chattanooga plant rejected UAW representation by a vote of 712 to 626.  Amazingly, the UAW and the automaker both refuse to take the workers' "no" for an answer.  The two sides are acting in unison to overturn the democratically expressed will of the workers.

The UAW against democracy, free speech in Chattanooga.  The United Auto Workers (UAW) lost its bid to organize Volkswagen's Chattanooga, Tennessee auto factory on February 14th.  The VW employees voted 712-626 against UAW representation in what can only be described as one of the most epic failures in the history of organized labor.  The financial and political fallout of the loss has received much commentary.  But the union's post-election actions have been, if anything, just as consequential:  The UAW has filed an objection with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), claiming the election had been tainted by statements from Tennessee politicians during election week.

Workers request VW not help auto union if feds order re-vote.  The VW workers allege that a prior "neutrality" agreement between the company and UAW regarding the election violated the National Labor Relations Act because the union gave "things of value" in exchange for the company making it easier to organize its Chattanooga workers.  Essentially, the complaint argues that the union bribed the company by offering it favorable terms for an eventual contract — a situation that would benefit the union leaders and the company, but not the workers.

Unions Request a "Do-Over" in Failed Chattanooga Union Vote.  What do you do when a union vote doesn't go your way?  Well, if you are the United Auto Workers union, you ask for a "re-do".  The UAW has asked the National Labor Relations Board to reconsider their failed attempt to unionize Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, because [...] they think it was unfair that anti-union voices were allowed to make their case on TV, highway billboards, and newspaper columns.  In other words:  the UAW feels they were unfairly outgunned by free-speech.

The United Auto Workers's worker problem.  The activist Florence Reece wrote the union ballad "Which Side Are You On?" in the midst of Kentucky's so-called Harlan County War in the 1930s.  Posed this question late last week by the United Auto Workers, employees of Volkswagen's Chattanooga, Tenn., plant answered that they don't want to be on the side of a union that is slipping into irrelevance.  Once a 1.5 million-member behemoth, the UAW has seen its membership decline to a fourth of what it was in the late 1970s.

Auto workers union appeals defeat at VW plant in Tennessee.  The United Auto Workers on Friday challenged last week's close vote by workers at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., that rejected the UAW's bid to represent them.  In an appeal filed with the National Labor Relations Board, the union asked the federal labor agency to consider holding another vote at the plant, arguing that "interference by politicians and outside special interest groups" had swayed the election.  The union's request, known as an objection to the election, could lead to a new election.

The Editor says...
Why not just re-count the votes over and over until the union wins?

The Suicide of Unions.  The recent vote by workers in Tennessee not to set up labor councils at Volkswagen operations is another stunning defeat for unions.  The power of these unions, once among the most feared in American politics, has imploded in the last three years.

UAW May Have Spent Nearly $8,000 Per Vote At VW.  In the aftermath of the United Auto Workers stunning defeat last Friday night, an interesting statement in this article in Automotive News sheds some light on just how much the United Auto Workers may have spent to unionize Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga.

Why the Tennessee Volkswagen Workers Voted Against the UAW.  "The United Auto Workers union suffered a crushing defeat Friday, falling short in an election in which it seemed to have a clear path to organizing workers at Volkswagen's plant in Chattanooga, Tenn.," the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. [...] One cannot emphasize the magnitude of this loss.  What it clearly spells out is the irrelevance of the old industrial unions in today's world.  They have become nothing less than reactionary institutions.  It is no longer the heyday of the union movement, which once was necessary and helped create a middle class in our country in the 1930s and '40s.

The UAW's Waterloo.  The United Auto Workers Union suffered a devastating defeat on Friday, when its attempt to organize the workers at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga failed on a vote of 712-626 (53-47 percent).  The company had agreed not to resist the organizing effort and gave the union access to the plant and its workers.  If the union couldn't win an election under those conditions, it is a powerful sign of how weak, indeed toxic, unions have become in recent years.  If the UAW couldn't win this election, it seems doubtful it can win any election.

UAW crashes in Volkswagen unionization defeat.  The United Auto Workers Union lost a hugely important unionization election vote at Volkswagen's Chattanooga, Tennessee assembly plant, going down to defeat in a 712-626 vote (53%-47%), with roughly 165 workers, or 11%, not voting.  Thus, in fact, only 41.65% of the total workforce voted in favor of unionization.

VW Workers in Chattanooga Reject Auto Workers Union.  The United Auto Workers union suffered a crushing defeat Friday, falling short in an election in which it seemed to have a clear path to organizing workers at Volkswagen AG's plant in Chattanooga, Tenn.  The setback is a bitter defeat because the union had the cooperation of Volkswagen management and the aid of Germany's powerful IG Metall union, yet it failed to win a majority among the plants 1,550 hourly workers.

VW workers in Tennessee stun UAW, reject union by 712-626 margin.  The UAW suffered a devastating defeat at Volkswagen's plant here as workers rejected union representation by a 712-626 margin.  The defeat, which came despite Volkswagen's neutrality, tarnishes UAW President Bob King's legacy and could make it next to impossible for the union to extend its reach beyond domestic automakers.

Volkswagen workers reject UAW.  Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tenn., have rejected the United Auto Workers, shooting down the union's hopes of securing a foothold at a foreign-owned auto plant in the South.  The vote was 712 to 626, said the UAW, which blamed the loss on "politicians and outside special interest groups."

The Editor says...
The UAW itself is an outside special interest group.

Workers at Tennessee Volkswagen factory reject United Auto Workers union.  Workers at a Volkswagen factory in Tennessee have voted against union representation in a devastating defeat for the United Auto Workers union's effort to make inroads in the South.  The 712-626 vote released late Friday [2/14/2014] was surprising for many labor experts and union supporters who expected a UAW win because Volkswagen tacitly endorsed the union and even allowed organizers into the Chattanooga factory to make sales pitches.

UAW Crushed. What Comes Next?  At Vokswagen's Chattanooga factory, the UAW was actually welcomed by the employer.  No union-busting propganada sessions.  VW, which already has a powerful union back home in Europe, wanted to set up German-style "works councils," where rank and file employees could have a say in production decisions.  But, according to many U.S. labor lawyers, it needed a union partner — otherwise, under the Wagner Act the works councils would be considered an illegal "company union."  The UAW seemed ready to be that partner.

The growing silence of 'union radio'.  The golden age of unions is long gone — and for the radio shows that focus on labor and workers rights, every day is a struggle just to stay on the airwaves.  There are a number of talk radio shows around the country covering — and funded by — organized labor that are still up and running, but like the labor movement as a whole, what remains is a far cry from the time when unions and the concerns of workers were a dominant part of the media landscape.

UAW Drive Falls Short Amid Culture Clash in Tennessee.  Now that workers have rejected the UAW in a close vote, attention turns to whether the GOP can fulfill its promises that keeping the union out means more jobs will come rolling in, the next great chapter in the flourishing of foreign auto makers in the South.

Bias alert:
The AP has apparently decided that unionization is the only way to create jobs, and if workers reject the unions, the Republicans are then responsible for any unemployment in Tennessee.

GM doesn't owe $450 million in retiree benefits, U.S. judge rules.  A federal judge said General Motors Co is not required to pay $450 million to cover medical benefits for retirees, in a defeat for the United Auto Workers union.

Tennessee autoworkers claim they were tricked by the UAW.  Autoworkers at a Tennessee Volkswagen plant say they've been tricked into supporting a drive to bring in the union.  Workers at the two-year-old Chattanooga plant informally indicated support for bringing in the United Auto Workers, a decision that could pave the way for letting the powerhouse labor organization represent workers in collective bargaining.  However, since Tennessee is one of 24 so-called "Right to Work" states, plant employees don't have to sign up or contribute dues.

Fraud alleged in auto plant 'card check' union organizing bid.  Eight workers at a Chattanooga, Tenn., Volkswagen plant have alleged that United Auto Workers officials used "misrepresentations, coercion, threats, and promises" in an attempt to organize the plant.  In charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board Wednesday, the eight allege that union officials lied to them, claiming that signing union cards did not count as a vote to join.  In fact, the cards were presented by the union to the company as proof the workers wanted to organize.  The workers further allege that the UAW resisted giving the cards back after they learned of their true purpose.  The workers were told they had to appear in-person at the union's office to get the cards back.

VW Employees Claim UAW Misled Them.  Volkswagen (VW) workers are claiming that the United Auto Workers (UAW) union used "misleading tactics" in its push to unionize a plant in right-to-work Tennessee.  UAW regional director Gary Casteel said on Sept. 12 that a majority of 2,500 workers at VW's Chattanooga, Tenn. plant signed cards endorsing union organization.  Workers came out less than two weeks later alleging that UAW organizers misled employees about what they were signing, according to a complaint filed to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Obama's Gangster Government.  In spring 2009, we got our first glimmers of this modus operandi.  In arranging the Chrysler bankruptcy, administration officials brushed aside the rights of secured creditors in order to pay off the United Auto Workers.  University of Pennsylvania law professor David Skeel pointed out that this violated the standard rules of bankruptcy law established, interestingly, during the New Deal.

Debunking Obama's "Big Three".  The GM bailout was a financial mistake.  GM should have gone through a standard bankruptcy to allow it to restructure properly.  Instead, when GM had its IPO the United Auto Workers union cashed out big time.  This group, the same group largely responsible for the initial demise of GM in the first place was given 17.5% to 20% ownership of the company (depending on how you count Chrysler and GM percentages).  Why?  It's the Chicago way.

UAW President Bob King Uses Occupy Rhetoric in Lansing Speech.  At the gathering of the institutional left tribes in Lansing, Michigan this morning [12/11/2012], United Auto Workers president Bob King thanked the usual left players, including Planned Parenthood and the environmentalist movement, in a speech that also utilized the rhetoric of the Occupy Wall Street movement.