UAW wins historic victory in U.S. South with vote at VW plant
Source: Yahoo Finance
DETROIT (Reuters) - The United Auto Workers union won its first organizing vote at a foreign-owned auto assembly plant in the U.S. South on Friday, in a groundbreaking victory after decades of failed attempts.
About 71 percent of skilled trades workers who cast ballots at Volkswagen AG's (VOWG_p.DE) factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee voted to join the UAW, according to the company and the union.
The skilled trades workers account for about 11 percent of the 1,450 hourly employees at the plant.
If the UAW victory, as expected, survives an appeal by Volkswagen to the National Labor Relations Board, the 164 skilled trades workers will be the first foreign-owned auto assembly plant workers to gain collective bargaining rights in the southern United States.
While the unit of skilled trades workers who maintain the assembly machinery are a fraction of the hourly work force, observers said the victory was significant and could serve as a launching pad for the unions efforts to organize other foreign-owned plants in the south.
Read more: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/uaw-wins-historic-victory-u-024734907.html?soc_src=mediacontentstory&soc_trk=fb
Wow .... This is a huge victory in this saga ...
Wonderful news !
MannyGoldstein
(34,589 posts)Thanks for sharing this!
SunSeeker
(51,564 posts)Recursion
(56,582 posts)Why is VW appealing this? Weren't they hoping for an organization vote last year that failed? What's different?
rpannier
(24,329 posts)They all say it's unclear whether the relationship between VW and the UAW soured, and if so, when
They all also mention the diesel engine situation. But provide no details as to why that matters
Recursion
(56,582 posts)Recursion
(56,582 posts)I would totally believe that that's just a written-in part of US labor law.
Skeeter Barnes
(994 posts)It's my understanding that's why they were opposed to this contract with just a portion of the employees.