March 2012

The Detroit News is reporting that the United Auto Workers has added 4,000 new members in 2011.  Membership rose from 376,612 at the end of 2010 to 380,719 in 2011.  However, the UAW's assets dropped from $1.08 billion to $1.04 billion. Its receipts also declined from $274 million to $258 million.  Despite a slight increase in membership, UAW President Bob King paints a grim future for the union if it is unable to organize foreign automakers.  "If we don't organize these transnationals, I don't think there's a long-term future for the UAW — I really don't."  The full article from the Detroit News can be found here. 

Our previous post regarding the UAW's efforts to organize Volkswagen AG's U.S. factory can be found here.

The 11th Circuit yesterday upheld a $1.7 million jury verdict against the Southeastern Regional Carpenters Council for illegal secondary boycott activity.  The full opinion is now available.

According to the union's own written materials, it started a campaign against a non-union contractor in Atlanta because the contractor "simply . . . pick[ed] up too much [potential union] work downtown.”  The union decided “to eliminate the threat" within 90 days.

The union's boycott included a large protest outside Emory hospital.  The union chose to “hit [Emory] hard and fast” because “the prestigious Emory hospital would probably not want demonstrators outside their building.” At least 130 picketers confronted patients and visitors of the hospital and shouted “Rat!” and “Stop the Rats!” at those who crossed the picket line.  The union protested over the course of many months at several other sites where the non-union contractor had jobs, and their standard tactics included shouting things at visitors like “Rats out!,” “There [are] rats in the building!,” and “B___ rat!”

In upholding the large damages award, the Court found the contractor proved it would have earned more profits but for the picketing, so the jury was entitled to award it damages based on lost opportunities to bid.  The Court concluded, “This . . . go[es] beyond the Union’s alleged desire to . . . ‘level the playing field’; this is the blatant elimination of competition.”

An investigation of NLRB member Terence Flynn by the agency's Inspector General has generated calls for his resignation and for further investigation.  The Inspector General looked into whether Flynn provided deliberative information to former Board members, now in private practice, and concluded:  "The facts . . . provide a basis for finding that Mr. Flynn violated the provisions of the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch and that he lacked candor during the investigatory interview."

Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, wrote to the Attorney General asking him to "carefully consider" the information produced by the Inspector General.  Rep. Miller's letter and a copy of the report can be found here.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka has called on Flynn to resign.  The Union's statement can be found here.

Reuters is reporting that the United Auto Workers is soliciting signatures of support from workers at Volkswagen AG's U.S. factory in an effort to extend its reach beyond the Detroit automakers. The full article can be accessed here.  

Right-to-work continues to make headlines in Michigan despite statements from the state’s Republican Governor Rick Snyder that he opposes efforts to pass right-to-work legislation in Michigan. Not content with these assurances, union officials in the state have been advocating a ballot proposal that would make right-to-work unconstitutional in Michigan.  For his part, Snyder has indicated that he also opposes the unions’ ballot initiative, stating that both positions are too divisive and are distracting from other issues.

The proposed “Protect Our Jobs” ballot initiative also attempts to reverse some controversial public labor legislation passed by Michigan’s Republican-controlled legislature in the last year, including a requirement that public union employees pay at least 20% of their health care costs, a ban on graduate student organizing, and a bar against payroll deductions for public school employee union dues – all bills that were signed by Snyder.

The union groups have until July to get enough signatures to put their proposed initiative on the November ballot.

See also:

“Governor Snyder to unions: Back off petition drive against right-to-work” (Detroit Free Press)