unions

During his first week in office, Donald Trump made headlines over two border-boosting policies. Yesterday, the American International Automobile Dealers Association announced plans to fight one of the president's proposals tooth and nail. On Friday, Trump signed an executive order suspending...Read More»

Employees at Volkswagen's manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee have voted in favor of unionization. The automaker isn't at all happy about that, though, and it's already begun working to invalidate the election. A RECAP In February of 2014, workers at Volkswagen's only U.S. plant voted...Read More»

Over the past couple of weeks, we've been hearing rumors about a new, sporty electric car that's intended to turn the heads of Tesla fans. Sounds feasible, right? After all, Tesla is beloved and adored by many motorists, so why shouldn't it draw a few competitors? Then we hear that this new car is...Read More»

At a press conference this morning, Volkswagen confirmed that it will produce a new, midsize SUV for the U.S. at its plant in Chattanooga. The announcement brings with it a multi-million dollar investment in Tennessee and thousands of new jobs, but will this new vehicle help VW reach its goal of...Read More»

The United Auto Workers has thrown in the towel -- in Tennessee, at least. According to Reuters, the union has backed away from its high-profile attempt to overturn a recent vote against unionization at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, and many are wondering what this means for the future of the...Read More»

As Ferris Bueller once said, life moves pretty fast. Nowhere is that more evident than in the world of marketing, where today's advertisers use social media to respond to all kinds of things -- from customer complaints to world events -- on the fly. According to The Wichita Eagle, a Subaru...Read More»

Earlier this week, we reported that, despite years of campaigning by the United Automobile Workers, employees at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee voted against unionization. If the decision had gone the other way, employees would've created a "works council" similar to the kind found...Read More»

The United Automobile Workers spent the past couple of years doing everything in its power to unionize workers at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, but when all the votes were counted, the New York Times reports that the 626 employees who wanted to join the union were outnumbered by...Read More»

Last week, we told you about the ongoing struggle between Nissan and its workers in Canton, Mississippi. The workers allege that Nissan has engaged in a campaign of intimidation and misinformation to prevent them from joining a union. A few hundred miles away, in Tennessee, Volkswagen workers are...Read More»

In Detroit, the Big Three car companies maintain an uneasy truce with the United Automobile Workers union. Troubles flare up from time to time, but both sides usually manage to work through their differences. Like rival cousins, they've been through a lot together. For foreign automakers doing...Read More»

Bad news for the bigwigs at Hyundai and Kia: workers at the companies' facilities in South Korea have voted to strike. The upside? Unlike walkouts of previous years, these won't last very long, and they aren't likely to affect vehicle availability in the U.S. or anywhere else. Approximately 71% of...Read More»

At two places during the Detroit auto show—first circulating on a Cobo Hall press-room table, then later slipped under my hotel-room door—I found a leaflet entitled: "Toyota: A Danger to America," carrying the footer, "I ain't dying for a Toyota." Wearing the language and design earmarks of...Read More»

In just two days, Sergio Marchionne will reveal his five-year recovery plan for Chrysler. While much of that plan revolves around slimmed-down lineups, more focused brands, and new and improved products based on Fiat vehicles, it's also likely to involve some tinkering with Chrysler's workforce and...Read More»

You’ve probably already heard about how the U.S. will impose a controversial new 35-percent tariff on car and light-truck tires imported from China. Before they changed the topic to more important topics—like Kanye West—the talking heads on cable news sparred over whether the move will be...Read More»

Moderate Democrats in the U.S. Senate have handed union organizers a minor defeat this week by trimming a "card check" provision from a pending labor bill. The provision would have allowed workers to unionize as soon as a majority had signed cards indicating that they wished to do so. However, many...Read More»

The French are different. Just look at their cars, which have included single-spoke steering wheels, turn indicators that don't self-cancel (to keep the driver on his toes?), and pneumatic suspensions that let them sink to the ground with a sigh when parked. Now a few members of GCT, the French...Read More»

Violence erupted at a SsangYong plant in Pyongtaek, South Korea, when a group of over 900 striking union members took control of the facility over the weekend. Police had offered some protection for the 4,000 non-striking workers who remained inside, but officers had withdrawn by Saturday night...Read More»

Here's what we know about Tesla's Elon Musk: he's an outside-the-box entrepreneur. He's become ludicrously wealthy thanks to PayPal and other pet projects. And he's a top-notch showman. Seriously: a SWAT team full of supermodels could start playing naked Twister at one of his press conferences, and...Read More»