On February 13th, Tennessee Senator Corker took his anti-union stance to a Chattanooga Volkswagen Assembly plant. Corker was equipped with an “understood” anti-union mission from American industrialist (who will go unnamed for now), wearing the common GOP union-busting paradigm and armed with a complete lie; not uncommon for GOP functionaries.
Yahoo News reported the following statement from Corker as he made the rounds at the plant.
According to Bob Woodall of Yahoo News...
CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (Reuters) – U.S. Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee said on Wednesday he has been “assured” that if workers at the Volkswagen AG plant in his hometown of Chattanooga reject United Auto Worker representation, the company will reward the plant with a new product to build.
Corker’s bombshell, which runs counter to public statements by Volkswagen, was dropped on the first of a three-day secret ballot election of blue-collar workers at the Chattanooga plant whether to allow the UAW to represent them.
Corker’s Statement
“I’ve had conversations today and based on those am assured that should the workers vote against the UAW, Volkswagen will announce in the coming weeks that it will manufacture its new mid-size SUV here in Chattanooga,” said Corker, without saying with whom he had the conversations.
Read moreas a National Labor Relations expert comments about the fallacy of Corker’s misinformation (lies) and expert option that Corker’s ill-advised intervention would lead to setting the vote aside. Thus, setting the stage for another vote.
Corker may have earned an “Honors Badge” (and we hope no more) for uber wealthy industrialists who seem to have their hands and money in every fabric of our lives. The unnamed brothers and their cabal of uber wealthy activist seem extraordinarily active where there exist any prospect of democratic (small “d”) principles.
I have posted a Bill Moyers and Company piece below. The piece includes direct comment from a Volkswagen executive about the companies actual position on collective bargaining. A position that is diametrically opposite that of American industrialist and conservative America.
By a vote of 712-626, workers at the Volkswagen AG plant said no to the UAW despite Volkswagen’s tacit support for the union campaign.
Next let’s see how Fox News rushes to assist the disingenuous and lying Corker.
Bill Hemmer, Fox News, interviewed the misguided and misleading Senator. Remember, you are going to view a segment broadcast earlier today. The broadcast aired after a Volkswagen executive went public with warnings for Tennessee workers about voting against collective bargaining.
When will Americans see the GOP for what it is: a tool of American industrialist who would rather not have collective bargaining units in their operations?
American workers tend to take undemocratic workplaces for granted, believing that’s just the way the capitalist world works. But to varying degrees, working people in other developed countries enjoy far more say over how their companies operate. In…
On February 15th, we published a piece about the Koch brothers moving toward hiring actors to appear in state election anti-Obama (Obamacare) Ad spots. Liberals Unite published a piece we re-blogged to the TPI with additional comment.
The problem with such campaigns, they are easily discernible as staffed with actors and they carry the same exact message. Money talks and when the wealthy want resutls and there are no credible position from which to build ads money flows to the screen actors (and the screen actos guild).
I digress. Aren’t the Kochs vehemently anti-union. Surely, AFP is not hiring non-union acotrs! End digress.
When it comes to the uber wealthy working to buy elections, it doesn’t take long for business to catchup with their web of plutocracy.
With four days of the TPI post, The Natioanl Memo ran a piece that shwos exactly why life will always induce stumbling when conglomerate industrialist immerse in politics. An ad spot from the mold of that identified by Liberals Unite was set to run in Alaska. The Koch sponsored campaign and the GOP have Senator Mark Begich targeted as occupying a Senate seat that “they feel” is vulnerable and winnable in this year’s mid-term elections. All is far in US politics!
One problem, the Koch’s are closing a oil refinery in northern extremes of Alaska with associated job losses.
OOPS….
This ad was pulled as quick as a severe snowstorm rolling out of Russian Siberia.
Americans for Prosperity — one of the largest recipients of donations from the Koch Family Foundation — has been hammering Democratic senators in swing states with millions of dollars in television ads. But last week the group suddenly pulled $100,000 in ads slated to run in Alaska.
Why?
Democrats from Alaska offered 10 reasons. But Max Croes, spokesman for the re-election campaign of Senator Mark Begich (D-AK), believes it has to do with an oil refinery that Koch Industries is closing in North Pole, Alaska.
“I guess it took two weeks for the billionaire Koch brothers to finally realize Alaskans don’t appreciate them firing 80 Alaska workers and closing a refinery while at the same time funneling over $100,000 to outside political attack groups for misleading ads against Senator Begich,” Croes said. “Alaskans just aren’t going to buy what they’re selling.”
As we posited a few days ago, “When you have nothing, fill the void with paid actors.” It is also critical to have a good handle on the scope of your industrial empire and how business decisions impact families. Once that is in the forefront of one’s decision-making, it is much easier to avoid comical ad placement as was the case in Alaska.
Oh no, this is terrible news! The fact that Reince Priebus was using his position of power to pick favorites and stab Scott Walkers opponent in the back with inside information could be enough to force Priebus to resign as RNC Chairman. And that would be a serious blow to us progressive/liberal/Democrats because no one with the exception of Sarah Palin has won more voters and more elections for us.
“Neumann was defeated 59% to 39% in the September 14, 2010 primary by opponent Scott Walker. Walker was ultimately elected Governor in the general election.”
It would be interesting to see if Mr Neumann would be willing to discuss any and all conversations he had with the Koch brothers regarding any “deals or willingness to play ball with them.” Or would he like to speculate how the information was leaked out? Hacking? A mole in his office? Does he have second thoughts about the Republican Party? How about his ideas of a free and democratic society knowing what he knows now?
Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus gave Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) inside information leading up to his 2010 election, Isthmus reported Wednesday night. Among the thousands of emails recovered as part of a recently-concluded investigation…
VW Workers May Block Future Expansion in the South (via Moyers & Company)
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