The UAW scored a victory at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga earlier this year before falling short with Mercedes-Benz in Alabama last week.
There were two big differences in the campaign. While both Tennessee are considered conservative red states, Chattanooga is a bit more blue than the state it’s in. Volkswagen also stayed officially neutral in the process — though the UAW says the company didn’t actually act that way. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz was more actively engaged in discouraging unionization and its plant isn’t located in an area where unionizing faces a favorable political climate.
So, then, I ask of you — how can unions break through as the UAW works to unionize more Southern auto plants? I know not all of our readers are pro-union, and that’s fine — but I also know many of our readers are either pro-union and/or are or have been UAW members.
Me, personally, I generally lean in favor of unions as a way to give labor equal power with management, though I am not axiomatically pro-union. But whether you are for unions, against them, or indifferent, the fact is the UAW has an uphill fight on its hands. If you were advising the UAW, what advice would you give them?
Once again, it’s a political topic. Once again, play nice or get banned.
Now that’s out of the way, sound off below.
[Image: Ryanzo W. Perez/Shutterstock.com]
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