Nissan workers in canton, MS reject UAW by 2:1 margin.

[Matty]

Much larger defeat than UAW expected.

[Technocracy Timmy]

Mississippi adopted right to work laws in the 1950's. This should surprise nobody; much of the South have historically been anti-union.

[Devout Centrist]

Well time to send the plant owners to the gulags

[heatcharger]

I do have to question the UAW campaign tactics of villainizing the company they seek to unionize. The jobs are at least somewhat well-paying and have fair working conditions from what I can see, so it's hard to see why Nissan employees would turn against their employer in large numbers on the basis that they aren't being treated fairly.

[Matty]

I do have to question the UAW campaign tactics of villainizing the company they seek to unionize. The jobs are at least somewhat well-paying and have fair working conditions from what I can see, so it's hard to see why Nissan employees would turn against their employer in large numbers on the basis that they aren't being treated fairly.

this is a good answer. If you are truly pro-worker, then you should respect their decision and believe them when they say things are fine and don't need fixing.

As far as I know, this particular nissan plant isn't makign insane amounts of profit.

[mvd10]

Thank God for Mississippi

[Person Man]

Looks like a plant where people there are more interested in moving up than doing quality work. No wonder why Nissan's quality hasn't been how it was in the 90's.

[pbrower2a]

I do have to question the UAW campaign tactics of villainizing the company they seek to unionize. The jobs are at least somewhat well-paying and have fair working conditions from what I can see, so it's hard to see why Nissan employees would turn against their employer in large numbers on the basis that they aren't being treated fairly.

this is a good answer. If you are truly pro-worker, then you should respect their decision and believe them when they say things are fine and don't need fixing.

As far as I know, this particular nissan plant isn't makign insane amounts of profit.

According to the usual practices of accounting, businesses do not realize profits in manufacturing but instead as their services or wares are sold.

[dead0man]

I guess the threats and intimidation worked. Nissan was running radio ads saying workers would be back ''picking cotton'' if they unionized

ahhahahaah, yeah....'cause unions would never use threats and intimidation to get something....oh man, you guys are a laugh riot!

[7,052,770]

This whole thing was very weird.

The anti-union ad was running TV ads all over Jackson area (even though only Nissan employees would be voting), putting up road signs and billboards, etc. I assume they were just trying to raise awareness of "oh noes unions are trying to come to Mississippi!!" rather than seriously trying to reach the random employee who might live in Madison (93% white rich suburb) or on Lakeland Drive in Northeast Jackson.

I didn't have a prediction for the vote, but the plant is 80% black and all of the local black political leaders were publicly on the "Yes" side, so I kinda assumed it would pass.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Such a disgrace.

Unionization is a right, and Nissan denied it to its workers.

[Person Man]

This whole thing was very weird.

The anti-union ad was running TV ads all over Jackson area (even though only Nissan employees would be voting), putting up road signs and billboards, etc. I assume they were just trying to raise awareness of "oh noes unions are trying to come to Mississippi!!" rather than seriously trying to reach the random employee who might live in Madison (93% white rich suburb) or on Lakeland Drive in Northeast Jackson.

I didn't have a prediction for the vote, but the plant is 80% black and all of the local black political leaders were publicly on the "Yes" side, so I kinda assumed it would pass.

Which means that economic populism doesn't actually resonate?

[Bandit3 the Worker]

I think this vote needs to be thrown out because of all the intimidation.

[Clarence Boddicker]

Looks like I won't be buying a Nissan anytime soon.

[RINO Tom]

Such a disgrace.

Unionization is a right, and Nissan denied it to its workers.

Sounds like the workers denied the "right" to themselves, LOL.

[AtorBoltox]

Such a disgrace.

Unionization is a right, and Nissan denied it to its workers.

Sounds like the workers denied the "right" to themselves, LOL.

Brainwashing is a very powerful thing

[dead0man]

wait....are you seriously suggesting they were "brainwashed"?

[7,052,770]

This whole thing was very weird.

The anti-union ad was running TV ads all over Jackson area (even though only Nissan employees would be voting), putting up road signs and billboards, etc. I assume they were just trying to raise awareness of "oh noes unions are trying to come to Mississippi!!" rather than seriously trying to reach the random employee who might live in Madison (93% white rich suburb) or on Lakeland Drive in Northeast Jackson.

I didn't have a prediction for the vote, but the plant is 80% black and all of the local black political leaders were publicly on the "Yes" side, so I kinda assumed it would pass.

Which means that economic populism doesn't actually resonate?

I don't know that this is proof of that. I think the conclusion is that the Nissan employees were happy enough in their job and didn't see the benefits of a union outweighing the drawbacks (which may or may not have been real), such as the plant closing or all of them getting fired.

[JerryArkansas]

Such a disgrace.

Unionization is a right, and Nissan denied it to its workers.

Sounds like the workers denied the "right" to themselves, LOL.

Are you seriously suggesting that unionization isn't a right?

Where did he say that?  Or are you just reading stuff into the posts of those who don't like again.

[Santander]

I'm generally pro-union, and anti-RTW, but I also believe in accepting the results of a union election, no matter if there was some fearmongering thrown around by either side. (seriously, what kind of election doesn't feature such things?)

One would have to assume these are decently-paid workers with acceptable working conditions, especially for Mississippi. In many ways, working in a non-union environment is better than working in a union shop. I don't see any reason to feel bad for them.

[Santander]

Another thing that I would add is that some people here seem to think that it's inconceivable that workers would reject unionization without intimidation. Even in long-time union shops in non-RTW states, a lot of the rank-and-file don't really value their union. Even if they have things like defined benefit pensions that the union got them, they don't like things like seeing lazy stewards who are only doing it to get off the floor and get paid to do union work, the union getting too cozy with management, advancement opportunities based on seniority, etc. There are some inherently negative aspects of unionization.

[RINO Tom]

Such a disgrace.

Unionization is a right, and Nissan denied it to its workers.

Sounds like the workers denied the "right" to themselves, LOL.

Are you seriously suggesting that unionization isn't a right? C'mon dude, you're better than this. Even as a Republican you should be horrified by the tactics Nissan used to sway this vote.

And yes, Nissan absolutely used intimidation here, but it's not like Trump's lawless NRLB will do anything about it. "Law and Order", am I right?

The quotations were a bad choice on my part; I was trying to jab Bandit for suggesting that Nissan denied its workers anything, which it objectively didn't.  It sounds like they were pretty disingenuous in the way they went about lobbying for the result that would be best for them, but the fact is the workers voted the way they would have liked, "brainwashed" or not.  I definitely believe anyone who wants to should have the right to join a union.

[Badger]

I guess the threats and intimidation worked. Nissan was running radio ads saying workers would be back ''picking cotton'' if they unionized

ahhahahaah, yeah....'cause unions would never use threats and intimidation to get something....oh man, you guys are a laugh riot!

Why does every Union opponent think that scenes from On the Waterfront still exist?

I guess it's easier to demonize Mafia stereotypes as opposed to actual modern day Union organizers, a large percentage of which are women.

[dead0man]

Of course they aren't as violent as they were in the 00s-70s (though.still.violent), you've got to admit the language (threats and intimidation) he used is ironic....since that had been their MO for the better part of a century.

[Badger]

Of course they aren't as violent as they were in the 00s-70s (though.still.violent), you've got to admit the language (threats and intimidation) he used is ironic....since that had been their MO for the better part of a century.

Please. I'm not going to condone union violence however isolated, but "for the better part of a century the use of violence has mostly been from the other side. Ever hear of the Pinkertons or other strime-breaking groups? Or how the cops or nattonal guard has historically been called out by pro-business politicians to"keep the peace" when faced with a strike?

Oh, I'll grant that's usually not how it works today for either side. Instead, corporations spend tens of millions annually--I'm not exaggerating--on how to intimidate organizers without blatantly violating the NLRB Act. A quick firing here or there for t minutes tardiness, or a family member being blacklisted along with organizers. Yeah, it's fu×+ing David and Goliath out there.

I realize unions raising middle class wages, as is more desperately needed in America than anything, is anethma to libertarian philosophy, but you don't have to pretend The Sopranos is tbe typical union organizer compared to the social worker types who actually do such jobs.