Tennessee VW workers want to unionize; VW is fine with that; Gov. Haslam isn't

[Indy Texas]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/07/business/vw-and-auto-workers-explore-union-at-tennessee-plant.html?hp&_r=1&

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The issue appears to be that (1) US labor laws don't allow for the works council arrangement, which has never existed at American workplaces but is common in Europe, because it is legally similar to the "company unions" that some American companies used during the Gilded Age to avoid unions actually doing anything, and VW is required to negotiate with a national labor union (the UAW) as a result. And (2) Governor Haslam and his party can't handle the prospect of unionized workers.

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[Ban my account ffs!]

Maybe the VW plant needs to move to another state. 

[Leftbehind]

Politicians more capitalist than the capitalists themselves.

[TNF]

Gotta love how Orwellian the right is when it comes to naming things. "Center for Economic Freedom"

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

There's your big bad government, interfering with the economy to make it harder for companies to become more efficient and profitable. *Sighs* When will Republicans ever learn?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Gotta love how Orwellian the right is when it comes to naming things. "Center for Economic Freedom"

I rarely agree with you, but you are dead on here.

[Person Man]

The Republicans are so far to the right, they are to the left. Seriously, if this is not capitalism (where the Government defers to merchants to move money around to grow the economy), what is it?

[DC Al Fine]

So is the GOP actually going to do anything or are they just saying "bad idea VW!"?

[Torie]

It sounds like the employer is pushing for this, for whatever reason.

[opebo]

It sounds like the employer is pushing for this, for whatever reason.

Well, they're civilized men operating in a brutal, savage land, can't really be too surprised about whatever they might do.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

It sounds like the employer is pushing for this, for whatever reason.

Most likely reason is to have labor peace in their other plants.  Rather than letting themselves being pitted against each other, European workers have a better track record on colluding for their common interests than American workers do.

[Franknburger]

It sounds like the employer is pushing for this, for whatever reason.

Most likely reason is to have labor peace in their other plants.  Rather than letting themselves being pitted against each other, European workers have a better track record on colluding for their common interests than American workers do.

VW has a long-standing and positive experience with plant-level agreements, especially with respect to working hours. They have, e.g., introduced models that allow workers to build up overtime accounts, which will be used to work under time at no wage loss in periods of low capacity utilisation / demand. Such agreements are accompanied by long-term job guarantees (no lay-offs during crisis).
VW, as other German car manufacturers, tends to invest heavily into staff training in order to maintain quality, and has no interest in losing that human capital because of temporary sales drops and subsequent lay-offs. For such agreements to be concluded and work, they need an accepted plant-level negotiation partner on behalf of their employees.

I also guess they expect positive PR in the US. If I was in charge of VW's marketing, I would try to capitalise on the buggy / VW bus "hippieish" image, and such a target group should be quite sympathetic to VW increasing and strengthening labour rights..

[DC Al Fine]

It sounds like the employer is pushing for this, for whatever reason.

Most likely reason is to have labor peace in their other plants.  Rather than letting themselves being pitted against each other, European workers have a better track record on colluding for their common interests than American workers do.

VW has a long-standing and positive experience with plant-level agreements, especially with respect to working hours. They have, e.g., introduced models that allow workers to build up overtime accounts, which will be used to work under time at no wage loss in periods of low capacity utilisation / demand. Such agreements are accompanied by long-term job guarantees (no lay-offs during crisis).
VW, as other German car manufacturers, tends to invest heavily into staff training in order to maintain quality, and has no interest in losing that human capital because of temporary sales drops and subsequent lay-offs. For such agreements to be concluded and work, they need an accepted plant-level negotiation partner on behalf of their employees.

I also guess they expect positive PR in the US. If I was in charge of VW's marketing, I would try to capitalise on the buggy / VW bus "hippieish" image, and such a target group should be quite sympathetic to VW increasing and strengthening labour rights..

That's a really neat idea.

[bgwah]

Further proof that Republicans are anti-free market.

[DC Al Fine]

Further proof that Republicans are anti-free market.

Barring any actual action by legislators, this is now different than me saying McDonald's should pay their workers more. It means nothing in terms of actual markets.

[Sbane]

It sounds like the employer is pushing for this, for whatever reason.

This is a very odd comment. Of course VW wants to have a good working relation with their employees. That makes business sense, does it not? And as the article makes clear, this is not a "traditional" union. This is a way to boost worker morale and a way to effectively communicate concerns from the assembly line to management.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Yeah, Works councils are pretty much the most unradical thing under the sun.

[minionofmidas]

Volkswagen certainly wouldn't want to be seen "battling" such a harmless union arrangement. Most of their market is outside America.

Also, of course, three eights of it is owned by governments (of Lower Saxony and Qatar. Yes, Qatar.)

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

I have to agree with the VW workers on this one. So long as non union labor is allowed in the shop as well. Remember Tennessee is a right to work state

[Indy Texas]

I have to agree with the VW workers on this one. So long as non union labor is allowed in the shop as well. Remember Tennessee is a right to work state

Well the point of a works council is that ALL workers are part of it. That includes factory workers, managers, office staff, etc. It's basically a part of the company, it's not a club that you pay a fee to join.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

They need to make it a union shop.

[Miles]

Haslam offered them $300M not to unionize.

[Randy Bobandy]

Haslam offered them $300M not to unionize.

Welcome to the South.

[pbrower2a]

The Republicans are so far to the right, they are to the left. Seriously, if this is not capitalism (where the Government defers to merchants to move money around to grow the economy), what is it?

They are "Socialists for the rich" -- socialize costs, privatize benefits.

[windjammer]

They need to make it a union shop.