Monday, November 23, 2015

UAW/Ford Contract vote should be thrown out

LouisvillePolitics.com - Since our stories last week regarding the UAW Ford contract vote came out, we have been swamped with more and more disturbing information being brought to us. It has become clear that this vote can, and should be, called into question by the NLRB, and thrown out. RICO, racketeering federal lawsuits, should pile up quickly against the UAW and Ford itself.

UAW members if you need help with any of this feel free to contact me here.

Everything from ballot stuffing to illegal forced voting has been alleged to date. Allegations include a payoff to Executive Vice President Jimmy Settles for thousands of dollars. Look for Settles to resign soon.

Ford as we know has been under federal investigations for some time now to include allegations of insider trading, and collusion in a cover up with Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. Those investigations are ongoing.

It is hard to argue with those making these allegations for a variety of reasons, but being a former UAW, Teamster, and UFCW union member, I witnessed many things firsthand over the years myself. Strong arm tactics by union so called "leadership" are nothing new, but never as blatant as these were.

Take this for example;

Why is this important?

Notice the voting times and dates. Dearborn was supposed to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday but was suddenly moved to Friday.

Why? Who made the decision?

By Monday night it was becoming apparent that the UAW nationally would vote this contract down. The UAW leadership, particularly President Dennis Williams, and Executive VP Jimmy Settles, had reason to be concerned.

They also had all the power to change the outcome.

While voting should have been completed by Wednesday, Jimmy Settles was holding a press conference begging for votes. It was all but clear this UAW/Ford contract would not be passed, we even wrote about it here.  For the first time I can ever recall. the UAW leadership was begging for ratification PUBLICLY. While voting was ongoing.

At the same time, somehow voting dates changed at Dearborn? Lucky coincidence? I think not. By Thursday Night, November 19, 2015, the vote stood at 47 -53 % against. In my opinion, and that of thousands of others, the fix was in.

How did it pass?

It looks like it was done by using the same old tired simple philosophy of illegal ballot stuffing.

This is a photo of what was used to make it happen. According to multiple sources, these are the cans that UAW leadership thugs were taking to the production lines and demanding people vote.

But, according to a source who witnessed it, the cans were pre-loaded with fake "yes" votes before the lids were put on and ballots presented to line employees.

I also have reports from employees that went to vote and they were told they had already voted. When the employees said no, they had not voted, they were told to get back to work and forget about it.

That is how it is done.

Take the voter list, fill out a bunch of fake yes votes, then stuff bottom of the can. Seal it, present it to the workers as a sealed can, force their vote, open it, throw out the no votes, pick up the stack of fraudulent yes ones at the bottom, and present them as the real vote. Throw in the fact that ballots were filled out in pencil, and well, you get the picture. It isn't rocket science.

It is common and used to be easy to get away with. In this case, thanks to modern technology you cannot pull this off as in days past. Instant communication between employees at other plants make it harder to not get caught. Photos, text, emails, recordings, all make it easy to work towards accountability. The veil of secrecy is unraveling as we speak and it is about time.

I would suggest that Michigan, and other states who have right to work, opt out of union dues. You want these shenanigans stopped? Stand in solidarity and refuse to pay dues. Then you will finally get accountability from leadership.

Make them earn your trust instead of destroying it. Make them earn your money instead of taking it for granted. Make them represent YOU.

What just happened in this vote is one reason why right to work exists. It forces the union to do their job by you. Money always talks and this is your way of making your voice heard.

It is a lack of institutional control, both by Ford, and the UAW, that has apparently permeated throughout the entire Ford plant system. It also isn't just limited to Ford or just the Dearborn UAW/Ford plants either.

Many sources are claiming that GM plants may have done the same thing, though currently those reports are unconfirmed, but they are under investigation.

Reports have been coming in from practically everywhere of illegal tactics in this vote. Dearborn, Chicago, Louisville, you name it. This is system wide.

Currently there is an investigation into the entire UAW/Ford negotiating teams, including some bargaining committee employees here in Louisville. We will out them soon.

Right now, there are NLRB complaints being filed, federal RICO lawsuits filed, and the scope of the Ford investigation that has been ongoing just widened to possibly include collusion with UAW leadership.

Need help with a lawsuit? Write me. I have great lawyers.

The contract cannot be ratified if accepted by illegal means. A contract that cannot be ratified is then nullified.

A complete re-vote is necessary to ensure accountability. The integrity of any voting process is sacrosanct and must be preserved.

One can only wonder why the NLRB wasn't monitoring this one anyway. Rumors abound regarding that right now but they will remain rumors.....for now.

In the meantime, Ford has its hands full.

Fighting two serious allegations at the same time, one involving now potential contract issues, the other insider trading, is not an ideal situation in a tough very competitive market.

Ford has made billions for years. Now we will see if they have enough to sustain the onslaught of lawsuits etc. The UAW itself has run roughshod over its own members for years. Now we will see if some can avoid jail.

I can't help but be reminded of the Firestone debacle at Ford years ago. It almost put them out of business. I know I was there. Ford lost 40% of their market share because people were questioning the safety of their vehicles. They never got that market back. Even now.

With all of these allegations creating distractions, one can't help but wonder how quality will suffer going forward until the UAW and Ford set this straight. As a consumer, I wonder myself if now is the time to buy Ford.

We shall see but all of this is self inflicted by the UAW and Ford.

Stay tuned folks, this is the tip of the iceberg there is much more to come.....

Listen daily from 7-8pm at The Ed Springston Show. Also visit Louisville Politics for more details and in depth coverage of local political and news issues.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thank you for reading LNP. Open and honest discussions of local politics and relevant issues is important to voter understanding. Please listen to the "Ed Springston Show". We broadcast Monday through Thursday evenings at 7 PM on local media outlets. Please check for the links.
Yours truly,
Ed Springston

9/11 Twenty-One Years later....

This will not be the post you expect from the headline. Fair warning..... Most remember the events of 9/11. How anyone could forget I have n...