UPDATED: Obama fires back at Tenn. Sen. Bob Corker as Volkswagen workers end union vote

[freshwest]

By Richard Cowan and Bernie Woodall - February 14, 2014 20:36 EST

CAMBRIDGE, Md./CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (Reuters) –

...Legal experts see a difficult path if either side wants to challenge the vote, though, given broad free speech protection for U.S. Senators, which would make it difficult to involve Corker in a dispute, and, from the anti-union side, management’s friendliness with the UAW.

Obama’s interjection in the war of words on Friday, albeit behind closed doors, underscored how much is at stake in the three-day vote by VW’s 1,550 hourly workers. The vote is due to end at 8:30 p.m. EST (0130 GMT Saturday) and the results could be announced soon after that.

Obama said everyone was in favor of the UAW representing Volkswagen except for local politicians who “are more concerned about German shareholders than American workers,” according to a Democratic aide who attended the meeting with Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives...

More at link:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/02/14/obama-fires-back-at-tenn-sen-bob-corker-as-volkswagen-workers-end-union-vote/

Unfortunately, the UAW lost. Here are other stories on this, what preceded the loss:

Would union cost Tennessee VW plant a new line? Senator and automaker at odds. (+video)

...Corker would not disclose his source. His comments were in line with a media campaign launched by Americans for Tax Reform, an advocacy group in Washington operated by conservative tax activist Grover Norquist.

A radio ad, posted to the organization’s website and running on seven local stations this week, states that the UAW is “the same union that bankrupted GM and Detroit. **The truth is, workers don't need the UAW to form a works council, ** and VW doesn't need a works council to make cars. Chattanooga isn't Germany, or Detroit. At least, not yet.”

The group has also erected billboards that state, among other messages, “the UAW spends millions to elect liberal politicans (sic), including Barack Obama...”

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2014/0213/Would-union-cost-Tennessee-VW-plant-a-new-line-Senator-and-automaker-at-odds.-video


Under US labor law, the Chattanooga workers were barred from creating a local work council because it required unionization.

**Article refutes the so-called 'truth' told by Corker, which was an outright lie. As Senator he knows labor law prohibits working groups without a union in place.**

The reference to Germany is part of their Obama-Nazi meme, which I'm sure VW didn't care for. Of course, he had to make the mandatory GOP racist slur about Detroit. They also made those as they fought the American-owned auto manufacturers bailout, to favor of foreign corporations they wanted to get all the work.

That is why the UAW is there, to make it happen. Corker's paymasters are rabidly RTW and anti-union as unions are key to reducing income inequality and they support Democrats like Obama:

Why Volkswagen is helping a union organize its own plant.

...That doesn't mean, however, that the vote is unopposed. National anti-union groups and the state's Republican leaders are campaigning against the UAW, saying unionization will spread like a contagion through Tennessee's other auto plants. “Then it’s BMW, then it’s Mercedes, then it’s Nissan, hurting the entire Southeast if they get the momentum," said Sen. Bob Corker (R.-Tenn.)...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/02/10/why-volkswagen-is-helping-a-union-organize-its-own-plant/

Which sounds great for the unions and the knowledge they can impart to workers. Corker is very aware of how things change by unionization.

The only thing I've read was Obama was publicly neutral, but he sent his VP on the road to make the case. Biden says Obama will take the cause unionizing the plant to the Supreme Court:

VP Joe Biden speaks about UAW success as unionizing efforts move forward at local VW plant

...Biden also said that right-wing business interests are trying to dismantle labor unions, which is related to growing income inequality in the United States, according to The Huffington Post.

"This is a concerted, full-throated, well-organized, well-financed, well-thought-out, long-term effort waging a war on labor's house," Biden told The Huffington Post.

Click here for that article:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/05/joe-biden-unions_n_4731933.html

He also said that President Barack Obama's administration would fight for collective bargaining before the Supreme Court.

'Look at Harris v. Quinn, the case before the Supreme Court. There’s a hell of a lot at stake. The president and I, through the solicitor general, came in on the side of the unions on the oral arguments and finally had an amicus brief, because we know that collective bargaining is the bedrock of our economy.'

It's clear Obama is trying to push uniniization behind the scenes, and is on top of the latest cases that affect worker rights. But he is a lightning rod for the right to demonize any cause he wants to suceed. If anyone knows about the case Biden is talking about here, please reply below, as this OP is getting much too long.

Click here for that article:

http://freebeacon.com/biden-thanks-uaw-for-helping-start-political-career/

Those latter links are from this website:

http://www.nooga.com/165327/vp-joe-biden-speaks-about-uaw-success-as-unionizing-efforts-move-forward-at-local-vw-plant/

The Washington Free Beacon appears to be a GOP fast response source, but at least they didn't twist the words in informing their crew of online Dittoheads. What they are so horrified about, sounds great to Democrats...

UPDATED: to Redfairen:

UAW may challenge Volkswagen vote results; 'we're not leaving Chattanooga'

UAW leaders on Friday said they will review all of their legal options and consider challenging the results of a devastating defeat in an election for union representation at Volkswagen's plant in Chattanooga, Tenn...

UAW President Bob King sharply criticized Tennessee politicians who he said scared workers away from voting in favor of union representation. Going into the election, the UAW thought it had support from a majority of the more than 1,500 workers who had an opportunity to vote.

That support began to decline in recent days, mostly because of news conferences held by the state's political leaders who warned that a vote in favor of the UAW would make the state less attractive to other manufacturers and could jeopardize Volkswagen's plans to expand its factory there.

"We also are outraged by the outside interference in this election. It's never happened before that a U.S. senator, a governor and a leader of the House of Representatives threatened the company and threatened the workers" during a union election, King said Friday night shortly after the votes.

Read more:

http://m.freep.com/autosbusiness/article?a=2014302150038&f=1235

Join the discussion there:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014728696

P.S. This is the BOG, a safe haven for those who support the president, his policies and those who support both. We have a SOP that can be found at About This Group.

[sheshe2]

1. So much dirty money behind these efforts.

"This is a concerted, full-throated, well organized, well financed, well thought out, long-term effort waging a war on labor's house," Biden said. "Because they know, they know -- not all business, but these guys on the right -- they know without you there they'll call every shot. I mean this sincerely. I think sometimes you guys underestimate it.

"And guess what?" he added. "They've been very successful. Look what's happened in Michigan and Indiana."

A more outspoken backer of organized labor than his boss, Biden has used the "war on labor's house" line before while speaking to union audiences, as recently as 2011. But the efforts Biden was describing have ramped up in that time, with Republicans in Michigan and Indiana passing right-to-work laws since then. Such laws forbid contracts between companies and unions that require all workers to pay the union for bargaining on their behalf, thereby weakening unions' clout.

"I never thought I'd be fighting a wave of right-to-work efforts," Biden said. The vice president said right-to-work laws would be better described as "right to pay you less" and "right to eliminate your right to have a say."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/05/joe-biden-unions_n_4731933.html

I'll be back later, freshwest. Thanks for the great OP highlighting the facts behind it all.

[SunSeeker]

2. The only time the GOP wins is when they lie.

They sure lied their asses off about what unionization would do at VW. And the scared workers fell for it.

[freshwest]

3. Oh, they did. With their Daddy Warbucks pals funding an all out media smear, full of lies. n/t

[sheshe2]

4. Thanks for the update, freshwest!

I hope the UAW does challenge these results.

Fear and threats, threats and fear. That is our modern GOP and their Filthy Rich backers that want to amass obscene amounts of money on the backs of the American worker.

[freshwest]

5. Part of the mentality that assisted them, shown in my thread here:

Racist Pastor Rails Against 'Colored People' and Biracial Babies

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017175738

Yes, that is in Tennessee. I'll bet he also railed against the UAW as well. Same racist memes and mentality, hitting the good people of TN trying to get out of the red and into the blue. Take a look...

[IrishAyes]

6. Oh, I do hope the UAW wins a recount. You know the GOP BLACKMAILED those workers! They're

the ones who need to man up and speak up for themselves (and the rest of the working class) instead of diving under the table at the first shot fired by management.