Now That's Solidarity! Germany VW Workers Stand Up For American VW Workers

Wow! Take a look at this!

Here is a quote from Robert Reich, describing how German workers for Volkswagon demanded that American workers for the same company be unionized.

Pretty amazing stuff, and it shows what we are capable of if we stick together.

Also, it kind of shows how much more willing Europeans are to stand up for what they automatically take as rights, and what Americans tend to dismiss as excess. They may have had more impact than American workers themselves did! And Europeans have long shown more of a willingness to do what it takes, to come down on the streets if they have to, to protect their rights. Meanwhile, in America, "right to work" almost means the opposite of what it says, and union busting has been in political vogue for decades now.

Sigh.

Anyway, here is the quote:


"Whoever imagined that German workers would turn out to be the champions of American unions? Yesterday Volkswagen's top labor representative threatened to block further investments by the German carmaker in the southern United States if its workers there are not unionized. German workers have considerable influence over company decisions through what’s called “co-determination,” which requires a union. "If co-determination isn't guaranteed in the first place, we as workers will hardly be able to vote in favor" of potentially building another plant in the U.S. south, said Bernd Osterloh, head of VW's works council. The 20-member panel - evenly split between labor and management - has to approve any decision on closing plants or building new ones. Undeterred by last Friday's vote at VW’s plant in Chattanooga, VW's works council says it will press on with efforts to set up labor representation there."

~Robert Reich