Well at least they ain't going to Hell for voting in that communism thingy ! Praise the Lord!

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (Reuters)

Republican U.S. Senator Bob Corker, the former mayor of Chattanooga who helped win the VW plant, said on Wednesday after the first day of voting that VW would expand the factory if the union was rejected.

"Needless to say, I am thrilled," Corker said in a statement after the results were disclosed.

National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix hailed the outcome: "If UAW union officials cannot win when the odds are so stacked in their favor, perhaps they should re-evaluate the product they are selling to workers."

An announcement of whether a new seven-passenger crossover vehicle will be produced in Chattanooga or in Mexico could come as early as next week, VW sources told Reuters.

----Corker Follows the lead of his Masters the Koch Brothers

Seems to be a southern virtue.

US live a couple of weeks from disaster if no paycheck, why wages are low, no bargaining power and often dirt under corporate greed. I often wonder if the faithful in certain areas unconsciously seek punishment, so many are often told they are sinners and appear to be into seeking self punishment.

(Heck, even German corporate people have to be surprised by this vote.) The company wants a union and workers vote against it because of threats from conservative politicians. I doubt that happens in Germany or any place else in the civilized world. Perhaps Americans are exceptional after all - unfortunately in a bad way.

it was closer than i expected.......

There is good reason that the Red Moocher States only produce 31% of our GDP and most of that is Texas Oil......!

DUMMIES!

aaarrrrgggggghhhhhhh

nm

Did these workers rver consider the future?

and besides, there are other issues in a workplace besides pay.

I had a co-worker at the Tillamook Country smoker who insisted a union would only exploit us for the democrats. Nothing but nothing would make him think different - even the fact that he'd been fired just before becoming eligible for the company's benefits package... three times in a row... always coming back at starting wage...

Most don't know, and you're not likely to talk to the ones who do. instead, you're going to run into the "Woah uv Nawthun Agreshun" narrative, insistence that slaves were so not a factor that you might think there was never a slave south of Pennsylvania in the first place, and assurances that it was a noble and just cause that will one day rise again.

if by accident you do engage, there's no escape except swallowing your own tongue. So just don't do it.

Which to them means the right to watch Daisy Duke wash the General Lee.

Wow.

They would never win if everyone knew the truth.

Which gives us people like Harold Ford who tells everyone that Carter sucked.

And unfortunately that is what has been continuously happening for a while now.

I believe they get in the upper 20s per hour w/benefits. Union dues shouldnt be the determining factor; they're not that much.
But if I worked for a company that treated me well and paid me well, I wouldnt vote for a union either. Unfortunately I DONT.

Funny, above this post is an ad for a Mercedes E-Class "starting" at 51,900. HA The day I pay 50k for a car will be the day everyone else is paying 100k

unemployed.


a lot of our friends our anti-union and we can't get them to see how wrong they are.

... when their congressman, who many of them no doubt voted for and trust, lied to their faces and promised more work. Let's see that new model come through now.

it wasn't a lie because he didn't say that if they did unionized they wouldn't get the SUV. He only said if they didn't unionize they would get it. he just didn't point out they would get it either way. The official response from VW was only that the SUV wasn't contingent on the UAW vote.

Like lower wages, higher costs on healthcare, NO protections of any kind in the event of something negative happening to them...and the list goes on.

The mega corps are collectively laughing and pounding out some major high-fives.

Once again, they were able to run rough-shod over American workers.

And you're dealing with a lot of people who are not educated enough to question the anti-union demagoguery of the other side.

The union had every advantage. The company welcomed them with open arms. An election schedule was set that organizers believed was favorable to them. How did they vbow it? If you can't organize a plant when you have those kinds of advantages you really are failing. This is 100% union failure. There is no one else to blame. I wanna puke. Labor "movement," my ass.

basically promised the workers they would get a second line of cars if they voted against the union. They also threatened the manufacturer with a loss of tax breaks. While that threat was directed at VW you know the workers were scared the plant would leave if the tax incentives were gone.
Did you look at the local paper and see the planted "stories" written by the director of the National Right to Work Group? The billboards bought and paid for by outside anti-union interests?

If a union can't overcome a few loudmouth idiot politicians then they have ZERO solidarity. Where is the solidarity?? It's over, pal. You don't come back from this.

Everyone was wondering what this vote would mean for unionization in the Sourh. We now have our answer. IT'S OVER!

I agree that there was a fearmongering campaign and if people are afraid of losing their livelihoods completely they'll take what they can get as long as they think they'll get that for the foreseeable future.

There is an enemy within. A house divided cannot stand.

And that's no sarcasm. The union failed. If the UAW's bosses are not fired that will be the REAL joke.

I'd suggest you see a movie called "Norma Rae". You might learn something about the South.

Check out "Harlan County USA" and "Matewan." In the latter, even though Matewan was not actually a company-built town like so many dominated by the coal industry, you will see machine gun nests placed in strategic locations all over town, manned by company. thugs. You will also see company thugs prowling the town with rifles slung over their shoulders, as if they were an occupying force. You will see company thugs firing into the tents set up by the striking workers evicted from company-owned housing -- tents occupied by women and children. And though it is true that "Matewan" is a fictionalized account of a real event, don't let that fool you into thinking it's exaggerated. "Harlan County USA," the granddaddy of all documentaries, will put those notions to rest. "Matewan" director John Sayles told all of his cast and crew to see it.

In this country, this is what workers who fight for their rights deal with.

You don't know much about the South, do you?

you have absolutely zero idea of what you're prattling about.

If the auto industry decides to close a facility the union can't do a damn thing about it. They have been closing auto plants for the last 50 years and the unions have not been able to even slow it down.
I'm sorry the union lost but they have no leverage in plant closings.

Like General Motors Powertrain at Willow Run. 40,000 LOST/MOVED/TRANSFERRED. Township left holding the bag. UAW nowhere to be found.

"But their overtures were to no avail. G.M. walked away and, thanks to a federal bailout, is once again profitable. The towns have not been so fortunate, having spent scarce funds in exchange for thousands of jobs that no longer exist.

One township, Ypsilanti, Mich., is suing over the automaker’s departure. “You can’t just make these promises and throw them around like they’re spare change in the drawer,” said Doug Winters, the township’s attorney."

"Yet the heavy spending on incentives carries little clear evidence of resulting jobs growth, and in many cases —Â such as in Ypsilanti Township, home of the massive, shuttered Willow Run plant —Â companies that took incentives for factories ended up closing them.

The Ann Arbor-based Center for Automotive Research says $13.9 billion in incentives have been pledged to the auto industry nationwide since 1985. Automakers have also closed more than 267 plants in the U.S. since 1979, about half of which remain empty, according to CAR.

At least 50 properties in the 2009 list of liquidations of old GM assets were in towns and states that had awarded the automaker incentives, the Times found.

Ypsilanti Township, which awarded more than $200 million to GM for its two Willow Run plants, is suing over GM's departure. Doug Winters, the township's attorney, told the Times, "We're their own private ATM. When they need money, they come begging, but when they don't want oversight, they say 'get out of the way.'"

All of us need to be well versed in our own economic and political history. We have tough decisions to make and need to form our thoughts based on facts and not on pure passion.
I really don't think too much of current politics. The people have come to accept and expect lies and deceit from every politician. The "spin" has crossed way over the line into the land or pure deceptions and bold lies.
We have a right to believe as liberals believe and the conservatives also have a right to their point of view. What is now missing is the the honor and honesty in the exchange, debate, and governing of our people. I miss this.
With honesty and honor, we the people, who believe from many points of view, can and must shape a greater future for our nation.
The current political mentality of, "say anything or do anything" in support of either team A or team B sucks. The weekly question has become what member of which political party is going to be caught lying, cheating, stealing, or screwing around this week. Then whatever flavor this weeks story is it will dominate the news while important things are again left undone and/or unreported. I'm tired of it.
I do not believe that I'm the only disgusted citizen around here either.

My sympathy to those who voted for the union.

My scorn to those who voted against it.

engrained into the south.

Someday that plant may close and 712 workers will be to blame.

If a plant wants to close, it will close, there's nothing the union can do to stop it.

And Corker played it like a maestro.

stuck on stupid I guess....

education, especially history and critical thinking, they would not so easily believe the crap that is fed to them on a daily basis.

Notice even VW is shocked by this outcome....

Sucks for them though.

What a bunch of complete and utter fools. This idiotic, backward shitehole of a country is completely hopeless on labor issues. I give up.

Sorry, but False Equivalence doesn't cut it.

Words like "idiotic, backwards shitehole" are more descriptive of places like Tennessee than it is

of others like Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.

Don't denigrate the whole country for the South -- They are, as Texas describes itself,

"A Whole "Nuther Country".

American bred capitalists. I think VW will finds a way to engage workers. And that may be a strong message to American companies, who can learn something. With that said, I don't know the details of all that has gone on here other than Corker should be investigated.

The UAW? This wasn't about American companies. I'm not sure you even understand what happened much less why.

the American companies. In other words, maybe the workers weren't as concerned about being screwed over by the German company as they would working for an American bred capitalist company. That's pretty true, VW didn't act at all like the American car companies during all of this. They are used to unions. Let's face it, European companies probably don't think twice about providing things like paid vacations, sick days, maternity leave and the like. It's their normal.

should not be exploited. American companies, not so much except for the Costcos and a few others.

""I just don't trust them [UAW]," said Danielle Brunner, 23, who has worked at the plant for nearly three years and makes about $20 an hour—about $5 an hour more than new hires at GM, Ford and Chrysler plants."" http://www.marketwatch.com/story/union-vote-at-volkswagen-tennessee-plant-heading-to-close-2014-02-14-74491318?pagenumber=2

The UAW was going against their personal experience. $20/hour for a 23 year-old in that area is the American Dream. I suspect many of the workers feel well taken care of and don't want to put that at risk. Would not be surprised if it proves wrong long-term, but that's the way they feel.

The southern bashing on DU continues unabated. For the people of this area, that voted against the union, they are FUCKING HAPPY, how dare we or anyone else question them? 712 people, a majority in an election, are happy with their current situation. I disagree with their decision, but you know what majority rules in an election. Why not address what the union did wrong in presenting their case instead of this fucking bullshit beat down of anyone from the south who strays from the party line. People here want to blame southern ignorance on not voting for our candidates. Perhaps that is true, but getting told you are fucking stupid by people who don't live your lives is not exactly the best method of convincing people to vote for our team. But please call me ignorant and southern......

Southern Stupid.

Sorry to say they will probably learn too late the folly of GOPropaganda.

and show them the benefit (to VW) of not having a union. Sheesh.

again, and stronger this time around. After 40 or so years of trashing, Unions are getting stream.

There's nothing forcing people to join the union even if it does get off the ground.

UGH.

If a company believes it is important to hire an intelligent work force (and I am giving VM the benefit of the doubt here), then maybe they should be looking at locating their plants in states where the moron factor isn't so high.

And Big Ed is going to go absolutely ballistic.

With apologies to those who voted 'yea'.

with pro-corporate, anti-union propaganda? Most likely most of these workers came of age during the Reagan years & later. I wonder if this vote will even be a teachable moment for these workers because I think VW is going to keep these workers bamboozled and hypnotized now that the workers missed their chance to stand up for their rights!

The GOP is.

Please feel free to call Republican elected officials and Corporations life sucking motherfuckers, but without being able to get inside the heads of the working men and women in that plant just trying to make a living please leave your vitriol up your fucking asses. It's not their fault that they aren't as brave you you, where you are sitting. Just my opinion.

Thank you for standing up for them! Lol. Fuck them.

A lot of these sick responses about working souls reminds me of the blonds 1- 37 on FOX. Real stand up Democrats there too.

You seem to be really upset by that sentiment. Sure you're on the right site?

Forty years ago I was standing in the managers office of the mill I worked at, surrounded by them, standing up for my right to try to unionize it. They threatened me with the many ways they could fire me for doing so. I told them they were right, they could dream up a hundred different reasons to can my ass, but the one god damned thing they couldn't fire me for was that. I walked out with the mutual understanding of live and let live and I carried on.

The company threw all manor of tricks, propaganda, and fear into those men and women. Ultimately they narrowly rejected the union representation. And you know the fuck what? I still remained friends with every fucking one of them, watched their kids grow up, and partied with them on days off. They were good people. I married one of them.

So when I see some of the shit talk here about working people with absolutely no feeling of power... well they can take it and shove it where it don't shine.

plant so no one crossed union picket lines or took union workers jobs so, no scabs . You sure you even have a fucking clue about any of this.

Isn't the joy of creating wealth for others reward enough?

I think it should be---For Them.

Just very disappointed.

Basically there's multiple factions w/in one.
There are trolls here, DLC Dinos in the DNC, and "go along - to get along" union members. In hard times they show themselves and position themselves for leadership.. So we're stuck in "leadership vaccum" doldrums from time-to-time...Now is 1 of those times, I fear.. I hear talk of the International (UAW) raising dues on us again...lots of funny stuff.. Michigan and Indiana are now "Right To Work" States...who knows what the next contract will look like...

I can't blame them for voting against the UAW.... We've lost plenty these past 5 yrs...2- Tier wages, no bought jobs anymore, Alternative Work Schedules (10 hour days)..to recieve virtually nothing in return. I'm sooooo sick of hearing "@ least you've got a job". As the profits pile up quarter after quarter... That excuse is getting harder and harder to swallow.

With little if gains in return. And the folks who should be unionized at the long-term jobless, yet no one is fighting for them.

Everything you said is RIGHT ON POINT!

I salute the 626 who voted for the Union in Chattanooga.

I don't think Unions will make their comeback until wealthy investors finish stealing the future, by then the only place to go will be up. Hopefully in this next cycle we do a better job at reminding people that the wealthy are never sated and that you have to stop them from taking everything for the sake of stability and prosperity.

What's going to happen come election time? Will these brainwashed dummies once again vote against their own interests, as they have here? You betcha! Very disappointing.

VW now has to manage this plant with a model different than their successful Union-Management model. This is actually politicians interfering with business.

An older guy where I work (Florida) was retiring and at his retirement party took the opportunity to rail against the evils of Unions (what brought this on?) and then moved back to Tennessee. Nice man, but he loves the GOP.

in the coming years.

If these companies want to follow the German 'work councils' model when they locate in the US, they had better locate in union-friendly states. If German companies value 'work councils' in their plants, they will have to locate production in union-friendly states or perhaps in Canada or keep production in Germany and export to the US. The latter two options do not help American auto workers.

look at a state where there's less republican government interference.

Life is very simple sometimes.

I hope the workers get what they voted for and all that comes with it.

Sadly Anti-Union feelings are no longer the specialty of the South. Even people in states that are traditionally friendly to unions such as Michigan and Indiana are appearing increasingly hostile to them.

In the past bosses had to send out goons, police and even National Guard to stop unions, now they simply tell workers they're jobs at stake to get the desired effect.

Decades of corporate propaganda coupled with subtle and not-so-subtle threats have worked wonders.

Now one can only hope that VW will do the right thing and not shaft their workers.

In 2011, UAW President Bob King received a salary of $159,293 and total compensation of $176,700.

• Vice President Joe Ashton: $137,719 salary; $180,678 total compensation.
• Vice President Cindy Estrada: $143,090 salary; $157,738 total compensation.
• Vice President General Holiefield: $148,612 salary; $167,033 total compensation.
• Vice President Jimmy Settles: $137,719 salary; $152,054 total compensation.
• Secretary-Treasurer Dennis Williams: $142,081 salary; $158,191 total compensation.

I doubt this vote will hurt the top brass at UAW. They may have gotten a raise if the vote went their way however.

I wonder to what extent this vote against was against the idea of being unionized per se vs. more of an anti-UAW vote.

Is it possible that there might have been some workers who voted against who might have been in favor of being unionized but just didn't want to be a part of the UAW.

Why not a locally run and controlled union?

I'm just asking questions.

There are rules as to what management can say during an election. Many of the statements made by Corker would be illegal if made my management. This election was not fair

VW is a German company and wages + benefits are even higher in Germany than in TN.

Why not consider that VW is already paying these workers a decent wage, comparable to any other automaker? German manufacturers also has won awards for safety and working conditions in the various plants.

Assuming that VW will stick it to these people at some point is conjecture at best and employer-hatred at worst.

There are companies and managers in this world who realize the value of the workforce and pay them a decent wage.

Assuming that a union is the only way is not logical under the circumstances. Consider that these workers are perhaps already getting what unionized plant workers get.

Southerners are regularly insulted here. Sometimes it seems like its even encouraged.

supervisor or executive. The job itself can be taken away with no due process or progressive stages of discipline.

If the pay and working conditions were as great as you assure us, 626 people wouldn't have voted for representation.

I knew you would be along at some point to celebrate. Enjoy the victory, I guess.

There are places where a union is absolutely needed. However, when an employer is generous and benevolent unionizing is likely to be counterproductive.

Look at it this way -- if VW was not confident that were generous and benevolent, they would have resisted the UAW's efforts to unionize tooth an nail. In this case, VW welcomed them and gave them carte blanche to canvass the employees.

Not everything has a winner and a loser. I am neither enjoying nor lamenting. I just don't want to second guess the democratic process of the workers.

It is their life, their jobs and their choice -- why are we all getting worked up over it?

for things to improve for workers in this country. Unions raise wage standards and improve working conditions for all workers. You can be sure that this most certainly is a loss and it's not just a loss for those workers at the Chatt. VW plant. All workers lost with this vote.

And stop being so disingenuous. There is no way you can know anything about this vote and not realize what is at stake - "why are we getting all worked up..."

So, go have yourself a nice steak and a few cocktails to celebrate. You wanted the Union put down and you got it.

but paranoia doesn't suit you.

Assuming that I will celebrate after I sincerely stated that I respect the local workers' democratic decision and I have no sense of win or loss is a bit "out there."

was compromised when republican politicians weighed in to influence the vote. That's why we are getting all worked up over this. Along with the fact that far too many people in this country vote against their own best interests.

or value for the concept of organized labor.

were it not for the THREAT of the union.

Check out some of those third world countries (16 labor leaders were murdered in Columbia after CAFTA was signed)

with little to NO right to organize and you will see how some of these multi-national

corporations treat THOSE employees.

They're going to regret it. We all are.

No way to rescue the country until we deal with them in a very big way