State of the Union April 22, 2014

April 22, 2014 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

• From Community Services: There will be a Gate Drive for March of Dimes/March for Babies on Thursday April 24. We know you will support this generously as you always have.
• From the Civil & Human Rights Committee: Mexican Heritage day will be Thursday, May 1st in the cafeteria on both shifts. We are seeking donated items to be put on display for one day. See Larry Mosby, 2nd shift frame line or Denise Black on 1st shift. All items will be returned after the one day display. Thanks in advance for your continued support.
• The $1000 Lump Sum Bonus will be payable during the week ending June 8. The eligibility date for this bonus is Thursday, May 15. Eligible employees are defined as those whose status with the Company as of the eligibility date is one of the following:

• Active with Seniority
• On temporary layoff status
• On leave pursuant to Family and Medical Leave Act
• On one of the following leaves of absence which has not exceeded 90 days as of the eligibility date:
• Informal (Par. 103)
• Formal (Par. 104)
• Sickness and Accident (Par.106/108)
• Military (Par. 112 or 218[a])
• Educational (Par. 113)

• From Automotive News: Citing his company's 4 percent U.S. sales gain in March and a "decent start" for sales in April, General Motors President Dan Ammann said the company's ignition switch recall has had no "measurable impact" on sales. "It's hard to say that there's a measurable impact there," Ammann said today on the sidelines of the Beijing auto show. "March sales were pretty solid. We gained retail share in March. April seems to be off to a pretty decent start as well." Bolstered by increased sales of full-sized pickups, GM's U.S. light-vehicle sales rose 4 percent in March from a year earlier to 256,047 units. The company also reported that retail sales rose 7 percent to help it gain retail market share. Ammann said he couldn't rule out future impact from the recall crisis, which began in February with the recall of 778,600 Chevrolet Cobalts and Pontiac G5s and has since swollen to 2.6 million vehicles globally. "We'll see with the passage of time," he said. "As of right now, it's difficult to pinpoint an impact." GM's 4 percent advance in March slightly trailed a 6 percent increase in overall U.S. industry volume. But other big manufacturers fared worse, including Ford Motor Co. with a 3 percent gain and American Honda with a 2 percent decline.

UAW withdraws Volkswagen election objections
The UAW announced Monday it is withdrawing objections filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regarding February's vote at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, effectively terminating the NLRB review process.

UAW President Bob King said the decision was made in the best interests of Volkswagen employees, the automaker, and economic development in Chattanooga. King said the UAW based its decision on the belief that the NLRB’s historically dysfunctional and complex process potentially could drag on for months or even years. Additionally, the UAW cited refusals by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and U.S. Sen. Bob Corker to participate in a transparent legal discovery process, which undermines public trust and confidence.

“The unprecedented political interference by Gov. Haslam, Sen. Corker and others was a distraction for Volkswagen employees and a detour from achieving Tennessee’s economic priorities,” King said. “The UAW is ready to put February’s tainted election in the rearview mirror and instead focus on advocating for new jobs and economic investment in Chattanooga.”

UAW Region 8 Director Gary Casteel, who directs the union’s Southern region, echoed that the UAW’s focus is advocating for Volkswagen to create more jobs in Tennessee by adding a new SUV line at the Chattanooga plant. The Haslam administration in August offered nearly $300 million in incentives to bring the new SUV to Chattanooga, but attempted to make the investment contingent on whether the Chattanooga plant is organized. The Haslam administration’s contingency is contrary to Volkswagen’s successful business model, which is premised on worker representation.

“The UAW wants to help create quality jobs and build world-class products for American consumers,” Casteel said. “With this in mind, we urge Gov. Haslam to immediately extend the incentives that previously were offered to Volkswagen for this new SUV line, and do so unconditionally.”

King said the UAW has accomplished a major goal with its election objections. “The UAW’s objections informed the public about the unprecedented interference by anti-labor politicians and third parties who want to prevent workers from exercising their democratic right to choose union representation,” he said.

King also said that outdated federal laws governing the NLRB never contemplated the level of extreme intimidation and interference that occurred in Chattanooga. Even if the NLRB ordered a new election — the board’s only available remedy under current law — nothing would stop politicians and anti-union organizations from again interfering.

Looking ahead, the UAW believes the congressional inquiry into the Haslam administration’s incentives threat to Volkswagen provides the best opportunity for additional scrutiny. The UAW will ask Congress to examine the use of federal funds in the state’s incentives threat, in order to protect Tennessee jobs and workers in the future.

“Frankly, Congress is a more effective venue for publicly examining the now well-documented threat,” King said. “We commend Congressmen George Miller and John Tierney for their leadership on this matter, and look forward to seeing the results of their inquiry.”