Last Friday, workers at the Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga, Tenn., voted 712-626 not to unionize. The vote was a devastating blow to the United Auto Workers, and the UAW has filed an appeal with the National Labor Relations Board asserting that “interference by politicians and outside special interest groups” swayed the election.
Both of Tennessee’s senators issued statements on the appeal, with Sen. Bob Corker calling out the UAW for being interested only in its own survival.
Corker: “The workers at Chattanooga’s Volkswagen plant spoke very clearly last week…” http://t.co/pGC7sJdDUR
— Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) February 21, 2014
Corker: “…we are disappointed the UAW is ignoring [the workers] decision and has filed this objection.” http://t.co/pGC7sJdDUR
— Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) February 21, 2014
Corker: “…I have to assume that today's action may slow down Volkswagen’s final discussions on the new SUV line.” http://t.co/pGC7sJdDUR
— Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) February 21, 2014
Corker: “This complaint affirms the point many of us have been making: that the UAW is only interested in its own survival…”
— Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) February 21, 2014
Corker: UAW only interested in own survival, not the “…employees at Chattanooga’s Volkswagen facility nor the company for which they work.”
— Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) February 21, 2014
Sen. Lamar Alexander also issued a statement, noting that labor laws are not written to “ensure that unions win.”
On #UAW appeal to #NLRB of #VW union vote: Labor laws not written to "ensure that unions win." Full statement: http://t.co/QUeApQNc7V
— Sen. Lamar Alexander (@SenAlexander) February 21, 2014
Labor laws are written to allow employees to decide whether they want a union, not to ensure that unions win. For thirty years, tens of thousands of new auto jobs have raised Tennessee family incomes and our workers have decided in almost every case that they are better off union-free. The UAW may not like this, but that is the right of employees in a right-to-work state like Tennessee.
Would a second election change the outcome?
The @UAW beating a dead horseless carriage RT @FreeBeacon: UAW Appeals Historic Loss in Tennessee via @FBillMcMorris http://t.co/WCnyZJf77k
— Derek Hunter (@derekahunter) February 21, 2014
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