Union Briefs for Monday, March 18, 2013: VW & UAW conspiring to unionize Chattanooga plant?

In these United States, for the most part and despite union attempts to to the contrary*, workers still have the right to choose whether or not to be unionized.

However, in 2010, when Obama’s NLRB legitimized sweetheart unions and gave unions the ability to engage in behind-the-scenes negotiations with employers–even when they do not represent said employers’ employees–the NLRB set the stage to give unscrupulous unions access to unionize workers through the back-door.

In the auto industry, in particular, the United Auto Workers has been desperate to unionize the America plants of foreign auto makers. Finding its next victim is the UAW’s only means of survival these days.

Now, the UAW may have found a willing accomplice in German auto-maker Volkwagen.

According to Automotive News, the UAW and VW are in talks to set up German-style Works Councils to help set pay and benefits, like those found in VW’s other plants around the world.

“The UAW would be the natural partner,” Neumann said, noting that the union knows the industry and has ties to IG Metall, the union that represents most VW workers in Germany. “We are not obliged to do it,” he said. “It will depend on the negotiations.”

[snip]

But VW’s lawyers have told the company that a works council would run afoul of U.S. labor laws if no union is formally involved, he said. As a result, the company has had talks with UAW President Bob King, who has tried unsuccessfully to organize workers at auto plants in the South.

For the UAW, which has lost members as the Detroit 3 downsized and other automakers have moved plants to states where unions hold less sway, the talks have the potential to provide a new way of organizing. [Emphasis added.]

It appears that VW, in order to get the UAW’s agreement on its concept of works council is setting the stage to give the UAW the keys to its Chattanooga plant. Though unionization will likely come later, the keys will likely come in the form of card check–that is unionizing VW’s employees through card-check.

Unfortunately for VW’s workers in Tennessee, there will be little they can do if, in fact, VW and the UAW are conspiring to unionize them through the back door*.

* See Card Check.

Now, for your Union Briefs for Monday, March 18, 2013:

United Steelworkers snaps up ‘Mr. 47 Percent’ Scott Prouty

That didn’t take long. Scott Prouty, the bartender who secretly shot the video of Mitt Romney’s “47 percent” comments at a fundraising dinner, has found a new gig with the United Steelworkers union. Ed Schultz, who devoted his entire show to Prouty last night, asked about his future plans. Law school, he thought.

What’s Prouty going to do for the United Steelworkers? According to the Huffington Post, that’s “yet to be determined.”

Employers, Unions Outraged by $63-Per-Worker Obamacare Fee

A provision buried inside Obamacare will force many employers to pay an extra $63 per employee next year. Analysts say most of the cost will likely be passed on to workers.

“It’s caught most employers, if not all employers, by surprise,” said National Business Group on Health Vice President of Public Policy Steve Wojcik. “They’re very upset about it.”

Teamsters to Teamster Bosses: Keeping Members in the Dark Doesn’t Win Better Contracts

The International Union has kept a tight lid on the bargaining goals for the UPS, ABF and UPS Freight agreements.

Keeping members in the dark doesn’t win better contracts.

Union claims: LONGVIEW: Snatching Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory

Longview Local 21 longshore workers waged the biggest, boldest battle against union-busting in the U.S. in decades. It was a fight against EGT, the giant grain company, that refused to abide by the port agreement to hire ILWU longshoremen, a conflict for ILWU jurisdiction and a contract. We kept our jurisdiction but got shackled with the worst concessionary contract ever…

Unions plan a National Day For Sequester Repeal…

From the lawyers:

New York City Council Overrides Mayoral Veto And Bans “Unemployment” Discrimination

Holding true to its promise, the New York City Council voted to override the Mayor’s veto of a bill prohibiting “unemployment” discrimination, making New York City the first jurisdiction in the country to allow unsuccessful job applicants to sue over claims that they were rejected for a position because of their unemployment status.

ICYMI: