Another blow to the UAW

The last 40 years have been pretty tough for the American Big 3 automakers and the United Auto Workers.  First came Japanese imports, followed by outsourcing and Japanese and European transplants.  Once the Big 3 and UAW had a monopoly chokehold on the auto consumer; now their market share is well below 50%.

The UAW's only hope for survival is to organize the transplants.  They had a golden opportunity with the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga.  Volkswagen offered no resistance to the UAW; in fact, they gave it an open mike to promote itself.  But just like a Road Runner cartoon, the outcome in Chattanooga was the same as in other big union organizing campaigns -- the workers chose to remain nonunion (WSJ report here).

In retrospect, the outcome is no real surprise.  VW workers were earning almost as much as their Big 3 counterparts (new hires at VW actually make more than their Big 3 counterparts), so why pay union dues?  Also for better or worse, the UAW has earned an anti-management reputation and receives much of the blame for the demise of the Big 3.  (Aside: making lousy cars also played a role.)  Bottom line: the VW workers weren't buying what the UAW was selling.