House Democrats expressed astonishment Monday that Gov. Bill Haslam and other Tennessee Republicans would threaten to pull economic incentives for Volkswagen if its Chattanooga factory seeks union representation for its workers.Haslam has been outspoken in his opposition to Volkswagen’s plan to introduce a German-style workers’ council at the car manufacturer’s Chattanooga plant. The council, which would feature employees and management, would deal with issues of efficiency and working conditions, but not wages or benefits.
Republican legislators have threatened to withhold the tax incentives that brought the car manufacturer to Tennessee three years ago if the company elects to unionize.
George Barrett, a civil rights and labor lawyer, believes such a move would violate civil rights law and the U.S. Constitution.
“The state cannot discriminate against a company because it is organized or not organized,” said Barrett. “The threat is as bad as the act.”
Turner, in a news release, said Republicans “are basically threatening to kill jobs if workers exercise their federally protected rights to organize.”
The plant’s 3,000 workers will vote Wednesday through Friday on whether to accept representation by the United Automobile Workers and install the council. The Chattanooga plant is currently the only Volkswagen plant in the world without some sort of worker representation.
Volkswagen is ok with the union, but Republicans are threatening to take back tax break bribes they provided to attract the company in the first place. How goddamn stupid is the Republican party? Ok, that is a rhetorical question, but do they really think they can renege on a deal because the business operates legally in a way they don't like? I think the kids in kindergarten used to call that being an "Indian giver" (origin of phrase here). I seriously hope the workers vote in the union, the state takes back their bribe, then the company and the union sue the state and collect punitive damages. Not that that will happen. Most likely, if the union wins the vote, the Republicans shut up, and everybody realizes they were just being thugs.
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