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August 4, 2017

Corruption and Division? Say It Ain’t So Edition

Today is the last day of voting in Canton, MS for Nissan plant workers to unionize. Amidst this contentious vote are two stories that show the UAW at its core: allegedly corrupt and divisive.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2017/08/02/uaw-scandal-roils-nissan-union-election/104242442/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2017/08/03/nissan-workers-divided-uaw-tries-plant-flag-south/536036001/

The first story is about the UAW head and a top member of FCA being accused of conspiring to embezzle money from an employee training fund for personal purchases. Gasp. You can read the link and see the numbers, but they aren’t small. What it boils down to is lots of money was taken. And from whom? The very workers the UAW “represents” in collusion with management, dubbed—usually—as the enemy. 

While the UAW points out that no union dues were stolen, and claims this is an isolated incident, this isn’t the first scandal to hit the UAW, now is it? And if management is the enemy—as auto industry managers are often depicted during unionization votes—why was the UAW chief allegedly in cahoots with them? This is a large question that I hope the workers in Canton contemplate before casting their votes.

And naturally, the UAW is claiming foul for Nissan broadcasting the information about the scandal. Complaining will, if the UAW loses the vote, allow it to ask for an appeal and/or cry interference to the National Labor Relations Board which could force the union and Nissan to negotiate regardless of vote outcome.

What I find interesting in the second article is the UAW treasurer, Gary Casteel, saying that the vote is pitting employer against employee, when really it is pitting employee against employee. If you don’t believe me read the article and see for yourself how entrenched each side is. I suppose that Mr. Casteel’s assessment could be valid if the FCA-UAW scandal hadn’t broken.

While the alleged misconduct is an isolated incident, what’s to say that it couldn’t happen again, or isn’t already happening at a different automaker?

It seems to me that everywhere the UAW goes, there is alleged corruption and division. Almost as if the strategy is to…oh, what is it called? That’s right! Divide and conquer. Same old story.

But what do you think?

Post your comments on Twitter @LaurenFix

Final Thought:

See. Gasoline engines can survive and are the more desirable option for cars: http://autoweek.com/article/technology/dont-count-out-gasoline-motors-yet

If you listen to some media and talking heads, combustion engines are on their last leg and an archaic piece of our past and the connected car is the way to go. This article says maybe we should not bet the family farm on the connected EV just yet. The article posits that there is plenty of room for advancement in combustion engines. And the writer is right.

Not this is any news to those of us who have always felt this way but it’s nice to know that we aren’t alone, right?

Post your comments on Twitter @LaurenFix

Love Your Car! See you next week!

–Lauren Fix