The Off Topic Topic

[Zanza]

The Volkswagen plant in Tennessee was recently unionized by the UAW, so there was some momentum. I think they are trying in the BMW plant in North Carolina next.

[crazy canuck]

NPR reports MB forced its workers to attend viewings of anti union videos.  My understanding of the law is unions are not allowed to interfere with organizing efforts.  Organizing was not impacted.  The vote was.

Did you mean employers are not allowed to interfere?

[Syt]

The Volkswagen plant in Tennessee was recently unionized by the UAW, so there was some momentum. I think they are trying in the BMW plant in North Carolina next.

NPR says that VW took a hands off approach:
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/17/1250215249/mercedes-uaw-union-election-results-south

Mercedes used the intervening time to try to dissuade workers from voting for the union, something that Volkswagen notably did not do in the run-up to its union election in Tennessee last month.

[crazy canuck]

In B.C. that conduct would result in an immediate union certification due to the employer's interference.  Did Yi misspeak or is the law the reverse in the US?

[Zanza]

What are reasons why workers vote against unionisation?

[Jacob]

Misinformation and intimidation.

[Syt]

What are reasons why workers vote against unionisation?

Usually reasons (real or imagined) are:
- cost of union fees
- lack of influence on union decision making and not "really" representing employee interests, but rather following their own agendas
- taking power from each worker to advocate for themselves directly with their employer and having to go through unions instead who may or may not do what you want
- employers might move to "friendlier" geographic location
- unions might drive up costs for producer, so they might cut jobs or move elsewhere

From the NPR article specifically:

[...]

For months, Mercedes started shifts by showing videos that warned about the failures of unions and the lack of say workers have in how their union dues are spent. Two weeks before the election, the company announced a CEO change in Alabama and urged workers to give the new leadership a chance.

As the election drew close, workers say they also got text messages on their phones and were pulled into small group meetings with lawyers from an outside consulting group.

"The entire message in those meetings is Vote no, vote no, vote no. We don't think you need to do this. This is not what you want," said David Johnston, who works at the Mercedes battery plant.

[...]

The state's Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair pointed to recent layoffs at the Big 3 automakers as proof that a lucrative union contract could backfire on Mercedes workers.

"Not only could there be layoffs, there could be investment made in other plants in other parts of the country or in other countries," McNair warned on Alabama Public Television's Capitol Journal.

[...]

[Syt]

Examples of how other employers react to unionization attempts:





















... I think the last one might not be from corporate.

[HVC]

What are reasons why workers vote against unionisation?

Usually reasons (real or imagined) are:
- cost of union fees
- lack of influence on union decision making and not "really" representing employee interests, but rather following their own agendas
- taking power from each worker to advocate for themselves directly with their employer and having to go through unions instead who may or may not do what you want
- employers might move to "friendlier" geographic location
- unions might drive up costs for producer, so they might cut jobs or move elsewhere

From the NPR article specifically:

[...]

For months, Mercedes started shifts by showing videos that warned about the failures of unions and the lack of say workers have in how their union dues are spent. Two weeks before the election, the company announced a CEO change in Alabama and urged workers to give the new leadership a chance.

As the election drew close, workers say they also got text messages on their phones and were pulled into small group meetings with lawyers from an outside consulting group.

"The entire message in those meetings is Vote no, vote no, vote no. We don't think you need to do this. This is not what you want," said David Johnston, who works at the Mercedes battery plant.

[...]

The state's Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair pointed to recent layoffs at the Big 3 automakers as proof that a lucrative union contract could backfire on Mercedes workers.

"Not only could there be layoffs, there could be investment made in other plants in other parts of the country or in other countries," McNair warned on Alabama Public Television's Capitol Journal.

[...]

I'm ok with the other stuff, but personal texts and being sent into rooms with lawyers seems a bit much. But I'm no expert on these sorts of things so I don't know what "illegal" and what's just off putting.

[crazy canuck]

What are reasons why workers vote against unionisation?

That's not really the question.  The better question is why do employees support union certification.  The answer to that in the academic literature is quite clear.  It is not wage related as you might expect.  Rather it is working conditions and more specifically being powerless when being managed by a jerk.

The lesson for employers who want to avoid unions then is to spend a lot of time on employee engagement. 

[Josquius]

Amazing some of that union stuff is legal.

In happier stuff. There's a French kids comic called petit poilu. No words. Just pictures.
It seems they've made an animation of it.
It's a kids show so expect nothing but.... That theme tune is banging.

[Syt]

That's sweet. Reminds me of the old Czechoslovak mole cartoons we had when I was a kid.

Though there was one that scared the shit out of me as a kid in which modern technological society collapsed:

Cartoons for kids went a lot harder back then

[Duque de Bragança]

Amazing some of that union stuff is legal.

In happier stuff. There's a French kids comic called petit poilu. No words. Just pictures.
It seems they've made an animation of it.
It's a kids show so expect nothing but.... That theme tune is banging.

Not available in France.   

[crazy canuck]

Amazing some of that union stuff is legal.

In happier stuff. There's a French kids comic called petit poilu. No words. Just pictures.
It seems they've made an animation of it.
It's a kids show so expect nothing but.... That theme tune is banging.

Not available in France.   

Or Italy


Which makes more sense than it not being available in France

[Tamas]

I mean when I was approached  to join a big union I had a pretty low opinion on them in general (most you encountered them were the Fidesz-aligned ones such as the railroad one disabling the country at every excuse) so I declined largely around the reasons Syt listed.

But damn if my employer was agitating so much against them like those Amazon posters, I would had made sure to join them.