UAW defeated in bid to organize Nissan workers

[whell]

The United Auto Workers suffered a major defeat (http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2017/08/04/nissan-uaw-election-canton-mississippi/104308020/)when Nissan workers in Canton, Mississippi, voted overwhelmingly against joining the labor union after a contentious campaign that emerged as the latest test of the labor union’s ability to organize employees of foreign automakers in the South.

Nissan said employees at its Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant voted “no” by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, striking another high-profile defeat for the UAW in a region where it has struggled to convince autoworkers of the merits of labor unions. The Japanese manufacturer said 2,244 of its Canton workers voted no, while 1,307 cast ballots in favor of joining the UAW.

The last days of the campaign were conducted as news spread of the indictments of two former Fiat Chrysler executives and the widow of a former union leader on charges that they allegedly participated in funneling for their personal enrichment more than $2 million in UAW-Chrysler National Training Center funds intended for worker training.

I've said it before: organized labor will continue to lose elections and decline in membership until the figure out how to come up with a way to be relevant in the 21st century. Keeping their fingers out of the financial cookie jar would help too.

[Rajoo]

Good. UAW has outlived their usefulness.

[Dondilion]

Good. UAW has outlived their usefulness.

The union is still useful in the promotion and protection of the rights of workers.

Workers understand that but are intimidated by the "mobility of plants".

[Rajoo]

The union is still useful in the promotion and protection of the rights of workers.

Workers understand that but are intimidated by the "mobility of plants".

Workers understand that but are intimidated by the "robots".
Pricing oneself out of the market provides financial justification for robots which has had quite an impact in the automotive industry.

[Oerets]

Robots buying cars now? How is that for a market strategy for the future growth?

There is a correlation between the weakening of labor and the stagnation or losses since. Retirement healthcare job security .....

Always the complaints are directed to the workers, what about the people at the top? Those who make hundreds of times the average for their own employees no criticism?




Barney

[d-ray657]

Time to find my old copy of Player Piano.

[BlueStreak]

About a month ago, the UAW succeeded in organizing the Lipton plant in Suffolk, Virginia. A few years ago, they successfully organized the Planters facility, here.

I suspect that Whells assertion that unions come up with a way to be "relevant in the 21st century" means that he feels they need to become stooges for management. That would completely negate their effectiveness. The relevance of unions should be entirely dependent on the behavior of management; Treat your people well, you have nothing to worry about, behave like a selfish, micromanaging DICK, pay the consequences.

Of course the GOP won't have any of that, being the party of ass kissers.

[BlueStreak]

Workers understand that but are intimidated by the "robots".
Pricing oneself out of the market provides financial justification for robots which has had quite an impact in the automotive industry.

There are still tremendous costs involved in automating a plant and maintaining said automation. It's not a free ride.

[Rajoo]

There are still tremendous costs involved in automating a plant and maintaining said automation. It's not a free ride.

I agree and maintaining robots require highly skilled technicians or else the line stops. What I am trying to point is that when labor costs become unsustainable, robots become a very good financial option.

[sheltiedave]

Forget labor costs. Let's talk about the unaffordable new car prices.

If they are saving cost by building non-union, outcountry sourced cars, how come the prices continue to climb through the roof?

[Dondilion]

Forget labor costs. Let's talk about the unaffordable new car prices.

If they are saving cost by building non-union, outcountry sourced cars, how come the prices continue to climb through the roof?

They will charge what they think they can get and in many parts of the country a motor vehicle is absolutely necessary.

[Rajoo]

Forget labor costs. Let's talk about the unaffordable new car prices.

If they are saving cost by building non-union, outcountry sourced cars, how come the prices continue to climb through the roof?

I bought a 1980 Honda Accord new for $7K, which in today's $'s is ~$22K, close to MSRP of a new Accord. Now if you go through what a new Accord's standard features include, it's night and day.

We also bought a new Honda Element in 2007 and a new HRV today costs about the same. What has indeed happened is that the average car that one buys has just about every bell and whistle one can imagine which is increasing the average costs up.

[Oerets]

Last year needed to get a truck. Woman on a cell phone not paying attention totaled my 96. Still able to drive just to expensive to fix.
So went new truck shopping, everything on the lots were packed full of bells and whistles and be 4X4's. No work trucks to be found, they needed to be ordered. Up to six months of waiting! All I wanted was a 4X2 auto AC Cloth limited slip back seat, a step or two up from a work truck.
Patient man that I try to be was able to find just what I was looking for at my price.
Another thing they push is the extended warranty packages and insurance for upside down loan value.


Barney