Current:Home > Contact-usU.S. labor secretary says UAW win at Tennessee Volkswagen plant shows southern workers back unions-LoTradeCoin
U.S. labor secretary says UAW win at Tennessee Volkswagen plant shows southern workers back unions
View Date:2024-12-23 23:25:01
ATLANTA (AP) — Workers at auto plants in the South should be free to unionize without pressure from employers or anti-union governors, acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su said Thursday, even as some southern states pass laws to inhibit organized labor.
“That choice belongs to the worker, free from intervention, either by the employer or by politicians, free from retaliation and threats,” Su told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday in Atlanta. “And what we are seeing is that workers who were thought to be too vulnerable to assert that right are doing it, and they’re doing it here in the South.”
The United Auto Workers union vowed a broad campaign to organize southern auto assembly plants after winning lucrative new contracts in a confrontation with Detroit’s automakers. Last week, 73% of those voting at a Volkswagen AG plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee chose to join the UAW. It was the union’s first in a Southern assembly plant owned by a foreign automaker.
Workers at Mercedes factories in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, will vote on UAW representation in May, and the company has also targeted plants in Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas.
But political and business leaders in southern states have long fought organized labor. Ahead of the Volkswagen vote, six Southern Republican governors criticized the UAW’s organizing drive, arguing that autoworkers who vote for union representation would jeopardize jobs. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Monday called the union vote “a mistake” and “a loss for workers.”
Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley said in February that his company will “think carefully” about where it will build new vehicles after the UAW’s strike last year. If the UAW organizes other automakers, it could raise their costs, leading them to build more vehicles outside the United States. But Su said President Joe Biden’s administration is focused on supporting jobs in the country, noting grants to automakers to support a transition to electric vehicles.
“So the auto industry is an iconic American industry,” Su said before speaking to the African American Mayors Association. “We want to make sure that employers who do right by their workers, who come to the bargaining table in good faith, who negotiate fair contracts, can also thrive and profit by using U.S. workers.”
Biden is backing unions in other ways. Su noted the administration in January finalized a rule mandating unionized labor on all federal construction projects costing more than $35 million, despite complaints from nonunion contractors that the rule reduces competition and increases costs.
“That’s one way that we ensure that you’ve got good union workers on jobs,” Su said, saying union labor agreements are rising sharply on construction projects.
Southern states are also pushing laws that would claw back economic incentive dollars if companies recognize unions without requiring a secret ballot election. Every major southern auto plant has received state economic development assistance.
Federal law also allows employers to recognize unions if a majority of workers return signed cards authorizing unions to represent them, a process known as card check. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed such a law Monday; Lee signed one in Tennessee last year. Alabama lawmakers are advancing such a measure.
Supporters believe unions can unfairly pressure workers into signing cards, while employers have a better chance of defeating unions in secret ballot elections. But those who support unions argue the laws violate the National Labor Relations Act, which allows voluntary recognition. They also say that employers use secret ballot elections to scare workers away from unions.
Su said she’s not sure if the Labor Department will seek to challenge the laws, noting the National Labor Relations Board, which oversees union affairs, has primary responsibility. But she said that “there are federal standards beneath which no worker should have to live and work.”
Su also decried union busting activity by employers, calling it “unacceptable.” She cited a 2017 survey that showed nearly half of American workers would vote to unionize if they had the opportunity.
“This is part of President Biden’s promise to center workers in the economy,” Su said. “He has said he’s the most pro-worker, pro-union president in history, and we are going to make good on that promise. And that includes making sure that workers have the right to join a union.”
veryGood! (62)
Related
- What is best start in NBA history? Five teams ahead of Cavaliers' 13-0 record
- Long-delayed Boeing Starliner ready for first piloted flight to the International Space Station
- More than a decade after a stroke, Randy Travis sings again, courtesy of AI
- Kentucky's backside workers care for million-dollar horses on the racing circuit. This clinic takes care of them.
- Sister Wives’ Madison Brush Details Why She Went “No Contact” With Dad Kody Brown
- Brittney Griner still adjusting after Russian prison ordeal. WNBA star details experience in book
- Kentucky's backside workers care for million-dollar horses on the racing circuit. This clinic takes care of them.
- Canadian police made 3 arrests in slaying of Sikh separatist leader
- Mississippi governor intent on income tax cut even if states receive less federal money
- Madonna attracts 1.6M fans for free concert in Brazil to wrap up her Celebration tour
Ranking
- Manhattan rooftop fire sends plumes of dark smoke into skyline
- Columbia University cancels main commencement after protests that roiled campus for weeks
- How Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Changed the Royal Parenting Rules for Son Archie
- Massachusetts detective's affair exposed during investigation into his wife's shooting death
- More human remains from Philadelphia’s 1985 MOVE bombing have been found at a museum
- Kim Kardashian booed, Nikki Glaser pokes fun at Bridget Moynahan breakup at Tom Brady roast
- Here's what happens inside the Met Gala after the red carpet
- Vanderpump Rules Reunion Teases Most Emotional Cast Moment Yet—Yes, Really
Recommendation
-
Louisiana man kills himself and his 1-year-old daughter after a pursuit
-
Auditors can’t locate former St. Louis circuit attorney to complete state audit
-
The family of Irvo Otieno criticizes move to withdraw murder charges for now against 5 deputies
-
One natural gas transport plan killed in New Jersey as another forges ahead
-
Kevin Costner Shares His Honest Reaction to John Dutton's Controversial Fate on Yellowstone
-
When do NFL OTAs start? Team schedules for 2024 offseason training and workouts.
-
Man points gun at Pennsylvania pastor during church, police later find body at man's home
-
Turkey halts all trade with Israel as war with Hamas in Gaza claims more civilian lives