Chapter 705 You dare to strike, I dare to fire you!

Li Weidong flew to the United States, came to Ford again, and met Bill Ford, the CEO of Ford.

Bill Ford said helplessly: Mr. Li, we are in trouble with the acquisition of Jaguar Land Rover. The guys from the United Auto Workers want to destroy our deal.

The Auto Workers Union? It's the union organization of auto workers, right? Li Weidong asked.

Yes, they are the most shameless organization in the world! Bill Ford gritted his teeth.

Li Weidong then asked: Does the Auto Workers Union own shares in Jaguar Land Rover?

Of course not, they are a union organization, why do they have shares in the company! Bill Ford went on to add: The shares of Jaguar Land Rover are 100% owned by our Ford Group.

Li Weidong asked again: Then, has the Ford Group signed an asset transaction contract with the Auto Workers Union? For example, it is necessary to obtain their consent, or to meet certain conditions, before they can trade Jaguar Land Rover?

No, how can we sign that kind of thing! Jaguar Land Rover is our asset! Bill Ford said.

Since that's the case, what are you worried about? Li Weidong continued: We can continue the transaction, what does it have to do with the UAW? Unless Ford has reservations about the conditions we negotiated before!

Li Weidong's words imply that he is saying, is your Ford company dissatisfied with the amount of 1.5 billion and want to change its mind?

Bill Ford hurriedly said: Mr. Lee, we Ford is absolutely sincere in completing this transaction. What's more, we and the United Auto Workers are already at odds with each other, and we will not be involved with these greedy guys. !

Li Weidong nodded. Since Ford wasn't doing things behind his back, the pressure was much lessened.

Bill Ford went on to say, Mr. Lee, don't underestimate the United Auto Workers. Those guys are not good opponents. Our American auto companies have been fighting against these people for almost a hundred years, and they have almost never seen them. Take advantage of it.

One hundred years? The history of civilian cars is one hundred years! Li Weidong said with a smile.

If it's been just 100 years since we Ford launched the T-sex car in 1908, and the United Auto Workers has grown with the development of our American auto industry!

Bill Ford sighed,

He continued: As the oldest auto company in the United States, we at Ford also deal with the United Auto Workers most often. For example, when I entered the management of Ford, the first task was to negotiate with the United Auto Workers. .

Li Weidong continued to ask: I still have the previous question. First, the UAW has no shares in Jaguar Land Rover, and second, it has not signed any agreement with Ford. How can they stop the transaction between us?

Li Weidong actually asked the question knowingly. He wanted to extract more useful information from Bill Ford's mouth.

Bill Ford explained eloquently: Although the UAW has no equity and no agreement, we must pay attention to their opinions, which are the rules of running a business in the United States.

In fact, the UAW didn't really want to stop this deal, they just wanted to get some benefits from it, such as higher wages, better health insurance, more retirement benefits, and so on.

Li Weidong deliberately pretended to be suddenly enlightened, and then said, I understand, since the boss is going to be changed, I need more benefits from the new boss, right?

That's right. Bill Ford continued: In recent years, the UAW has been making frequent moves, in fact, even if there is no deal, they will still find other excuses to ask us auto companies for various benefits!

Then if I don't plan to do them any favors, what can they do with me? Li Weidong said with a look of disdain.

At that time, the UAW will encourage workers to demonstrate, protest, march, and even strike. Mr. Li, I know that you have several factories in China. You should be aware that once the workers strike, the final loss will be the enterprise. .

Bill Ford went on to say: Every day a business needs costs to operate. Only production can generate profits to offset costs. A day's strike means a day's loss. So when faced with a strike, all we can do is compromise.

When employees are hired, they should all sign contracts, right? Strikes are absenteeism, and unexcused absenteeism will lead to dismissal. Why not dismiss those workers who make troubles and recruit another batch? Having trained a lot of auto workers, are you afraid that you won't be able to recruit them! Li Weidong continued.

The difficulty of firing employees in the United States is very low. Except for Montana, all employment rules in the United States are at will employment, that is, employers can fire employees at any time in an employment relationship, regardless of whether there is a reason or no advance notice. , you got fired, you can pack up and leave.

This may sound like a convenience to the employer, but in reality the employee has the same power. The employee can also leave the post at any time without realizing the notice, which means that if other companies are poaching their way, the employee can also say I quit and leave the job directly. ,

Bill Ford explained: Mr. Li, although the U.S. auto industry is very developed, and there are many workers in the auto manufacturing industry in the United States, recruiting workers is really not an easy task.

Workers always demand higher wages, better benefits, and shorter working hours before they come to work. Moreover, many skilled auto workers have trade union backgrounds themselves. Recruiting such people will make it even more troublesome! It may lead to a new round of strikes.

Instead of that, it is better to give the workers a little sweetness, so that they can work in a safe and stable manner, and at least be able to maintain normal order for a period of time. As a business, we still hope to take stable profit as our main goal.

Li Weidong pondered for a moment, and then said: In general labor movements, there will be leaders. You can fire all the leaders, which will serve as an example to others. If other workers have no leaders, they will not dare to make trouble again.

Don't do that! Bill Ford hurriedly shook his head, and then continued: In that case, the OEM worker will become a hero, he will gain higher prestige, become a union cadre, and then fan more the workers against you!

Li Weidong couldn't help but think of the employee named Smalls who was fired by Amazon, because Amazon has never had a union, so this guy organized a labor movement, demanded the formation of a union, and finally held a small-scale strike, and then he was fired by Amazon .

The guy turned into a worker leader, first raising money through the union website, then using the money raised to organize a barbecue party, order hot dogs, pizza, beer, and treat the workers to dinner. Anyway, meat products are not expensive in the United States, and the cost of holding such barbecue parties is not high.

Next, he posted the photos of the event on the Internet and continued to raise funds while building momentum. People who don't know the truth will see that your activities are held quite frequently here, and there are many people participating, so his reputation has gradually increased.

With the increase of fame, more and more people came to eat and drink, and the activities became bigger and bigger, and they could continue to raise funds. Finally, after holding a barbecue party for two years, Smalls finally Gather enough signatures to launch a campaign to form an Amazon union.

In the end, the Amazon union was successfully established. This employee who was fired by Amazon not only became the leader of the Amazon union, but also became a well-known figure in the United States. It’s okay to go on a TV show, shoot a YouTube video, and then bring the workers to make trouble. It is quite nourishing to spend a sum of money from the enterprise. If live streaming was popular in the United States, this guy could become a billionaire.

Just listen to Bill Ford continued: Mr. Lee, based on my experience in dealing with the UAW over the years, I think it is best to negotiate with the UAW people in this situation.

Of course, you don't have to agree to all their demands, and they don't expect you to agree to all of them. Negotiation is a process of mutual compromise. You can give them some sweetness and let them explain to the workers.

Li Weidong listened to Bill Ford's instructions on negotiating with the labor union with a smile on his face. After Bill Ford finished beeping, he said goodbye and left.

When Li Weidong was far away, Bill Ford immediately dialed a phone number.

Mr. Jewell, the Chinese left me just now, and he should contact you soon. Don't worry, I have suggested to him to compromise with you as much as possible. When it comes to specific negotiations, you only need to lower the level a little bit. Ask, the Chinese should agree!

...

Li Weidong left Ford.

For what Bill Ford said, Ford and the UAW were at odds with each other, and Li Weidong only believed half of it.

The entanglement between Ford and the labor union for nearly a hundred years. The two sides do not know how many agreements have been reached. Li Weidong would not believe that Ford's top management had no friendship with the labor union leaders.

And this Auto Workers Union, Li Weidong is naturally famous for a long time. This is an organization that American auto companies will never get around.

The original intention of the establishment of trade union organizations is naturally to strive for the interests of workers. However, after more than 100 years of development, American trade unions have become a resistance to industrial production. It is no exaggeration to say that the labor unions in the United States are definitely the largest bureaucratic interest group in the United States.

After the end of the Civil War, American industry began to flourish. At that time, American workers worked harder than in 996. It was normal to work fourteen or five hours a day, there were no weekends, and the wages were still low.

So on May 1, 1886, the Chicago workers went on a parade, which led to the suppression of the Chicago police, and then for this year, May 1 was designated as International Labor Day every year.

It may be difficult for ordinary people to imagine that such a festival originated in the largest capitalist country in the world, and the United States, which is the origin of the May 1st Labor Day, itself is only on the May 1st Labor Day.

It is also a loss that the May 1st Labor Day originated in the United States, and South Koreans dare not steal it.

After the Chicago strike, trade union organizations in the United States began to sprang up everywhere, from the textile industry, to the mining industry, to the steel industry. In just a few decades, almost all industrial categories had specialized labor unions.

However, after World War II, the quality of American labor unions gradually changed. Many labor unions began to be corporatized, and labor union organizations were no longer mass organizations, but more and more like a company, with professional managers, when mediating disputes Consultation fees will be charged, and even workers' activities will be held from time to time in order to obtain enshrinement from the enterprise.

For many Americans at the bottom, if they want to get out of poverty and become rich, in addition to being an athlete, they can also be union leaders.

Because every election, when candidates need workers to vote, union leaders play a crucial role.

The most typical example is Woodkel. He used to be the chairman of the Auto Workers Union. Because he helped Carter in the election, he became the director of Carter's liaison office in China. After the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, he became the ambassador to China, and the unemployed youth succeeded. The transformation belt prepares civil servants.

Many American ambassadors abroad are not professional diplomats, and most of them are politically mediocre. This kind of person has almost no knowledge of diplomacy. The real diplomacy is still up to the Secretary of State.

Today's unions in the United States are obviously hindering the development of enterprises, so many companies are also clearly opposed to unions.

In many traditional industries, trade unions have appeared, and companies have no choice but to let it go. In emerging industries, trade unions have not had time to establish themselves, so companies do everything possible to obstruct the establishment of trade unions.

For example, Amazon, as mentioned above, will fire anyone who dares to organize a union. In order to prevent the formation of a union, Amazon also spends money to file a lawsuit and sue that the process of establishing a union is illegal. After more than a decade of obstruction, Amazon will not unionize until April 2022.

Apple, another major American technology giant, is also opposed to labor unions. Apple employees won't have Apple's first union at a retail store until June 2022.

Among the many unions in the United States, the most powerful is the United Auto Workers.

The reason for this is firstly because the American auto industry is strong enough, with many auto workers, many people with great strength, and naturally there is a strong ability to challenge the capital.

The second is because the auto industry is relatively profitable. Whenever auto workers are going to strike, auto companies often take measures to increase salaries and benefits for workers. Over the years, the salaries of American auto workers are relatively high, and the union funds Also quite sufficient.

If you want people and people, and if you want money, the UAW will naturally grow and develop.

And the more established the auto company, the longer the UAW has dealt with, the higher the wages of the workers.

The nation's highest-paid auto workers are at Chrysler's Alabama plant, followed by General Motors and Ford. The three major U.S. automakers also have the longest intersection with the UAW.

The salaries of workers in Japan's three major car companies, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan, are in the middle. This is because Japanese car companies began to build factories in the United States in the 1970s and 1980s, and they have only dealt with auto unions for 40 years.

BMW and Volkswagen in Germany, as well as Hyundai in South Korea, pay workers the lowest wages. And they have the shortest dealings with the Automobile Federation.

Although Germany's automobile manufacturing industry is very strong, the time for German car companies to set up factories in the United States is relatively late. For example, Volkswagen's generation of magic cars, the Passat, did not start production in the United States until the seventh generation. At that time, the Passat model was fast yellow.

South Korea's Hyundai Kia also increased its investment in the United States after 2010. Since the Sade incident, this brand has made it clear that it will give up the Chinese market.

Not to mention Tesla, Elon Musk can't wait to scold the union 800 times a day.

For the Auto Workers Union, the major car companies naturally hate it, but they are helpless. In order to avoid greater losses, the capitalists can only constantly compromise with the union.

Now that Li Weidong has just raised the funds to acquire Jaguar Land Rover, the Auto Workers Union came out to do things, in fact, it took the opportunity to collect protection fees.

Before the subprime mortgage crisis broke out, it was probably the last moment of glory for the UAW.

This year, the United Auto Workers held a 14-state general strike that forced Chrysler to pay $11 billion to improve worker welfare, which also directly led to Chrysler filing for bankruptcy.

About 42,000 workers benefited from this union movement, which is equivalent to an average profit of $260,000 per worker. But in the end workers apparently didn't get as much, and ended up nearly losing their jobs when Chrysler filed for bankruptcy. As for where the money went, the devil knows!

After killing Klesker, the Auto Workers Union was not reconciled, and turned the gun on General Motors. It was also a strike, and General Motors also filed for bankruptcy.

After killing the two major auto companies one after another, the UAW has also fallen into decline, and many auto workers have withdrawn from the organization.

Workers just want better wages and benefits, not losing their jobs. You have bankrupted the boss, lost my job, and there is a gross benefit!

The auto workers' union's funding, in addition to the auto companies' contributions, mainly comes from the auto workers' dues. After the auto workers join the union, they need to pay 5% of their salary as the dues, and the union will help the workers fight for their rights.

After all, it is the United States, and everything is still about money. If you don’t give money, who will help you! Those public figures who blow up the American labor unions can stop for a while.

The workers all quit, the UAW's dues were greatly reduced, operations would be difficult, and the momentum would not be as strong as before.

Of course that's the future of the UAW, which in 2007 was the nation's most powerful and most terrifying organization for entrepreneurs.

...

The next day, Li Weidong met with the negotiators sent by the Auto Workers Union.

The man was Norwood Jewell, who would become the vice president of the United Auto Workers in the future, and was sentenced to 15 months in prison for taking millions of dollars in bribes from auto companies.

Of course, it cannot be ruled out that the car company deliberately cheated and sent this guy to prison.

It is also a common phenomenon for American labor unions to eat the benefits at both ends. Those who eat the work will eat the enterprise, and then they will make a lot of money. If you are lucky, you can help a certain political figure in the election, and you can also make a wave of political capital.

Today's Norwood Jewell looks like an ordinary worker in a blue T-shirt and khaki slacks.

This is the standard dress for the cadres of American labor unions. Although they make a lot of money, they will never wear suits and ties like Wall Street elites.

T-shirts and slacks make them look more like ordinary workers, and the blue T-shirts are closer to the color of work clothes, which also shows that they represent the majority of blue-collar workers, and workers will trust them more when they see this dress.

After all, it is a trade union organization that has been developing for a hundred years, and there are still many such detailed little routines.

After introducing each other, Norwood Jewell said directly: Chairman Li, on behalf of the Auto Workers Union and all the workers in Bemhull, I oppose your acquisition of Jaguar Land Rover!

Why do you object? Li Weidong asked with a smile.

Your acquisition will damage the rights and interests of our workers! Norwood Jewell said with a just and stern look.

Then what rights and interests of your workers will be damaged? Li Weidong asked with an expression of breaking the casserole.

Norwood-Jerwell was slightly taken aback, thinking that this is just a rhetoric, it's just the opening remarks of our negotiation of conditions, how can you take it seriously?

However, Norwood-Jerwell's face was thick enough, he was not embarrassed at all, but said: Our workers have many rights and interests that will be damaged, and I will not list them all here!

But our request is clear, you have to give up the acquisition of Jaguar Land Rover. Of course, we can relax this requirement if you agree to our terms.

Norwood-Jewell said, took out a document directly, handed it to Li Weidong, and said at the same time: Our requirements are not complicated, mainly include increasing salary, increasing paid vacation, increasing medical insurance and dentist quota. , boosting superannuation benefits, and funding union activities.”

Li Weidong took the document, but without looking at it, he threw it directly on the table, and said at the same time, I can't agree to any of what you said!

Li Weidong's attitude made Norwood Jewell very unhappy. He thought that Bill Ford had given Li Weidong enough hints, and Li Weidong would agree to some of the conditions to meet the requirements of the Automobile Federation, but he did not. Thinking that Li Weidong directly rejected these conditions without even looking at them.

Mr. Li, according to what you mean, are you planning to negotiate with us? Norwood Jewell said with a grim face, and then threatened: If that is the case, then I will inform you that Jaguar Land Rover Bemhull Factory workers, start strike from now on!

Norwood-Jerwell also toughened up. He thought that this would definitely scare Li Weidong, but Li Weidong shrugged his shoulders with an indifferent expression, and said at the same time: Then go on strike! But I want to remind You, if you dare to strike, I will dare to fire you Yuyu!

Norwood Jewell was stunned for a moment. He has worked in the union for many years and has participated in many negotiations. This is the first time he has seen such a tough employer.