After workers voted against unionization at a Chattanooga, Tennessee Volkswagen plant, the United Auto Workers (UAW) union filed an appeal to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) last Friday claiming “Republican public officials and union opponents unfairly influenced workers,” in the lead-up to the vote.
Given Big Labor’s tailspin after workers rejected their attempts to thrust unionization upon them, it isn’t at all surprising that they would look for opportunities to delay the NLRB from certifying the union’s defeat. However, by dragging out what should be a relatively simple matter, the UAW is just showing how desperate they are to continue pushing their forced unionization agenda, even in the face of defeat. We understand no one likes to lose—but no one likes a sore loser, either.
By “cherry-picking incidents to overthrow the desires of the majority of workers,” the UAW is conveniently ignoring the fact that pro-workers’ rights groups weren’t the only ones involved in the election. Both President Obama and a prominent Volkswagen board member spoke out in favor of unionization, with the latter threatening to “withhold investments to the plant if it did not unionize.”
Even with the leader of the free world on its side – as well as the threat of coercion from within the company – the UAW still lost, fair and square. Unfortunately for these Tennessee workers, Big Labor doesn’t work that way. Instead of accepting defeat, the UAW is digging in its heels by issuing these complaints, which “could allow the union to drag on the proceedings form months – or years.”
Volkswagen and the UAW had their chance. They mounted an aggressive pro-unionization campaign that allowed “labor officials to wear T-shirts on grounds, [gave] them office space, and [arranged] for union ‘information sessions’” – and yet still, workers soundly rejected unionization. It’s time for the UAW to accept it and move on.
In this case, the majority has spoken – and they do not want to be unionized. The UAW should know that no amount of bureaucratic delays or political maneuvering is going to change that.
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