After Historical Union Vote, Chattanooga VW Employees Rally for ‘Report Contract’ | Commonplace Desires

Following their ancient vote to sign up for the United Auto Employees in April, staff at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee held a rally on Sunday as they get ready to go into their first spherical of negotiations with the corporate subsequent week.With their vote, the Chattanooga staff changed into the primary Southern automakers now not affiliated with one of the crucial Large 3 auto corporations to win a union.”Only some months in the past, you voted 3-1 to sign up for the UAW,” the union’s president Shawn Fain informed the assembled staff, including, “You had religion, and also you moved mountains, you overcame opposition, and also you gained your union.””With the forms of earnings you might be producing, Volkswagen may double your wages, now not lift costs, and nonetheless make billions of bucks. It is a selection.”At a rally that started at 1:30 pm Japanese Time on Sunday, Fain informed collected staff that they have been now able for the “subsequent step.””We inform Volkswagen, get out your pens, as a result of it is time to put it down in writing,” Fain stated.Heading into negotiations, the UAW is about to make a number of calls for of Volkswagen, amongst them advanced well being and protection; aggressive wages together with price of dwelling allowances, benefit sharing, and no tiers; advanced paid-time-off polices; extra retirement safety; reasonably priced healthcare; and union protections equivalent to due procedure, union illustration, paid time for union paintings, task coaching, and truthful promotion insurance policies. Fain warned the employees that the corporate and the company media would attempt to fearmonger concerning the union’s calls for. “They’ll say that our righteous struggle for a top quality of existence for the running elegance will spoil the economic system or derail the transition to EV,” Fain stated, including, “The one economic system that is going to get wrecked in that is their economic system that most effective works for the wealthy and the company elegance.”Fain shared figures appearing that Volkswagen had higher its earnings since 2021 via 49% when put next with the former 3 years, securing $24 billion in earnings in 2023 by myself. However as a substitute of sharing that providence equitably with the group of workers and the native economic system, it paid CEO Oliver Blume $10.5 million and rich shareholders $12.7 billion. Shareholders have observed their dividends bounce via 288% in two years.”That is billions of bucks which have been robbed from the employees who generated the ones earnings,” Fain stated. “It is billions of bucks that were not spent at the EV transition. It is billions of bucks being spent on mansions in far off nations and yachts in personal marinas, and now not being spent within the native companies proper right here in Tennessee.” On the similar time, staff on the Chattanooga plant had produced greater than 1.5 million cars for over $50 billion in gross sales since 2011.”You are the spine of this plant, you are the spine of this corporate, and also you deserve your justifiable share of the wealth that you simply create,” Fain stated, including, “With the forms of earnings you might be producing, Volkswagen may double your wages, now not lift costs, and nonetheless make billions of bucks. It is a selection.”In the end, Fain stated the figures he cited had one reason: “company greed.”Fain famous that the Chattanooga staff have been coming into negotiations for his or her first union contract kind of twelve months after UAW staff on the Large 3 automotive makers introduced their ancient “get up strike, in the end profitable record-breaking contracts from Common Motors, Ford, and Stellantis.”Since that second, staff in every single place together with right here at Volkswagen are status as much as struggle company greed and insist your justifiable share within the economic system,” Fain stated.He informed the Chattanooga staff, “Now could be your time to win a list contract and make historical past once more.”

Author: OpenAI