Union Goons Launch Membership Drive at 13 Automakers
Jose Nino
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The United Auto Workers rolled out plans to attempt to unionize tens of thousands of employees at 13 automakers with non-union plants across the United States. UAW is capitalizing on momentum after it extracted significant concessions from Detroit’s big three auto manufacturers. In early November, the UAW extracted cool pay rises and other benefits from Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. The benefits the UAW was able to obtain include a six-week strike against the car companies. On November 29, 2023 the UAW kicked off a campaign to organize US plants operated by BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Lucid, Mazda, Mercedes, Nissan, Rivian, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo.
“Big Three autoworkers just won big raises, more job security and cost of living adjustments for one simple reason,” declared UAW president Shawn Fain. “They’re organized. To all the autoworkers out there working without the benefits of a union, now it’s your turn.” This new organization drive comes at a time when labor disputes are sweeping across the auto industry worldwide. For example, Tesla is dealing with strikes by mechanics, dockers, cleaners and postal workers in Sweden, whereas Volkswagen has issued warnings about cuts in Germany. The UAW’s strike against Ford, GM and Stellantis brought about 25% wage increases over four years in addition to other benefits such as the right to strike over plant closures. Since then several foreign automakers with plants in the US have increased wages for their employees in an attempt to push back against unionization attempts.
Unions once served a purpose in the industrial era when working conditions were precarious for millions of workers. However, they have now outlived their usefulness as unions are now turning into de facto income extraction organizations that cause mayhem in the workplace at the expense of economic productivity.
Suffice to say, these organizations’ economic and political power has to be limited if the Right wants to remain in power for a long period of time.
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