Do Or Die: UAW's President's Legacy Hinges On Sucess In The South

With eight months left in his tenure, UAW President Bob King has reversed the union’s membership decline, negotiated contracts that accelerated the Detroit Three automakers’ recovery and established stronger ties with international labor organizations.

Yet he has not achieved his most important goal, of organizing an Asian or German assembly plant in the southeast U.S.

“Bob King has basically staked his legacy on organizing these international assembly plants,” said Kristin Dziczek, director of the labor and industry group at the Center for Automotive Research. “Unless they unionize more of the automotive work force in the country, the UAW workers will become wage takers, not wage setters in this industry.”

atc98092 - 12/2/2013 7:26:50 PM

+1 Boost

Unions performed a vital and necessary role in the past. However, unless they change from protect the worker no matter how wrong they are, and continue to make unrealistic demands on the companies, then I hope they are unsuccessful with their current membership drives.

MattDarringer - 12/2/2013 8:42:32 PM

+1 Boost

Th UAW needs to demonstrate that is it a PARTNER and not a blood sucking leach.