Chapter 706: Who is more iron

Li Weidong broke up with Norwood Jewell, and he is likely to organize a strike.

Norwood-Jewell has been a labor union cadre for decades and has dealt with all the auto companies that have built factories in the United States, but this is the first time he has seen an employer like Li Weidong who is unwilling to even talk about it.

Under normal circumstances, this kind of negotiation is that the trade union first throws out a condition, and then the enterprise also offers a condition according to the trade union condition, and then the two sides argue for a period of time, and finally reach a consensus.

The company will improve its welfare a little bit, and the union will stop making trouble. Then the two sides will calm down for a while, wait for the next time the union will do something, and then repeat the previous operation.

This is how the wages of American auto workers have risen. The average U.S. auto worker’s salary is roughly more than double the average American salary and 1.5 times the median U.S. income.

Many people may feel that it is normal for frontline workers to earn twice the average income. But considering the income level in the United States, this high income is obviously unreasonable.

Because countries with higher salaries have higher labor costs, and when labor costs become higher, companies have a higher threshold for manpower needs, which in turn will equalize salaries. This is a proven phenomenon in the field of human resource management.

For example, if you hire a nanny with a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan, the requirements will definitely not be very high, but if you hire a nanny with a monthly salary of 30,000 yuan, it must be at least 985,211!

The same is true for applicants. The Environmental Sanitation Bureau is recruiting public toilet administrators. If it is officially compiled, a group of masters will sign up because the salary is good and they are still an iron job.

For example, those developed countries in northern Europe have relatively high salaries, and the salary gap between different industries is not large. Although the salary of a university professor will still be higher than that of a workshop worker, it will not be several times the gap. The same people there are generally well educated, and it is common for a person to have several master's titles.

However, if the salary is very high in an industry, and the industry's requirements for professional skills are not so demanding, it is unreasonable.

American auto workers are like that. Migrant workers should not think that the high salary of American auto workers is a good thing. The increase in the salary of auto workers is behind the decline of the American auto industry. Due to the high labor cost, car companies that originally set up factories in the United States have transferred their companies to Mexico and other countries.

When the company leaves, workers lose their jobs. At the same time, the corresponding supply chain of the auto industry is also transferred, and then the workers in the supply chain will also lose their jobs, and a Motor City such as Detroit will go bankrupt.

manufacturing salaries,

The key is not high or low, but reasonable. Overpaying workers hurts the entire industry, and underpaying workers hurts workers. Only when the salary is in a reasonable grade can there be a win-win situation.

...

Ford, the signing ceremony for the Jaguar Land Rover deal is about to begin.

Li Weidong and Bill Ford were sitting together, waiting for the lawyer to bring the transaction contract.

Mr. Li, I heard that you didn't reach an agreement with the union organization? Bill Ford asked.

The trade union has asked too much, and I can't agree to their conditions. Li Weidong said with a sullen face.

There are differences between them, so we can talk about it! As I said before, if you give in one step, I will give in one step, and a result that is acceptable to both parties can definitely be reached.

Bill Ford said with a worried expression, and continued: Mr. Li, with all due respect, if you can't reach an agreement with the union, the union will definitely use some means.

I know, it's nothing more than a strike! Li Weidong said with a relaxed expression.

The strike will shut down the factory, and ultimately it's the capital that suffers, Bill Ford said.

It doesn't matter, I just need to fire a group of strikers. The other workers are afraid and will naturally obey. I don't believe they will give up their jobs! Li Weidong showed a determined expression.

There was a trace of sarcasm in Bill Ford's eyes, and he continued: Mr. Li, your method may be useful in China, but this is the United States after all. The United States has American rules and deviates from American rules. I'm afraid it will be difficult to succeed.

Thank you, Mr. Ford for your reminder. Li Weidong said his thanks perfunctorily, then pointed to the lawyer who was walking over here, and said, Mr. Ford, the contract has just been brought, and we can start signing it. .

It's hard to persuade a damned ghost! Since you don't follow the rules yourself and have to fight against the union, you deserve to suffer heavy losses. Jaguar Land Rover went bankrupt in your hands, and Ford has one less competitor!

Thinking of this, Bill Ford showed a fake smile on his face, and then made a please gesture, but he was thinking about it, watching Li Weidong's jokes in a few days.

...

With a flash of the spotlight, the two sides completed the signing, followed by an intermittent press conference.

This time the signing ceremony, Ford specially invited a lot of reporters to the scene.

Last year, Ford suffered billions of losses, and Jaguar Land Rover was one of the biggest losers. If it could get rid of Jaguar Land Rover's revenge, Ford would not only be able to repatriate $1.5 billion in funds, but also reduce this year's losses. It's definitely good for Ford's stock price.

That's why Ford has invited a large number of reporters, hoping to take this opportunity to make a big publicity wave, raise its stock price, and explain something to shareholders.

The assistant quietly came to Bill Ford's ear and said, Mr. President, everything has been arranged. All the reporters we invited are here.

Very good. Bill Ford nodded with a smile, and continued: Let the PR department treat those reporters well.

President, one more thing. I saw Norwood Jewell of the Auto Workers also coming, the assistant said.

Don't be nervous, he's here for the Chinese. Bill Ford said with some schadenfreude: We've already sold Jaguar Land Rover anyway, and now the Jaguar Land Rover workers have nothing to do with us, we'll just wait and see. It's fun.

...

Bill Ford was the first to be interviewed, and I saw him talking to the camera, like a general.

The reporters were all invited by Ford, and the public relations department of Ford had already communicated with the reporters, so the reporters’ questions about Bill Ford were all negotiated after they were realized, and Bill Ford responded with ease.

After that, it was Li Weidong's turn to be interviewed. Since American reporters were not familiar with Li Weidong, the reporters were not very interested in him, but at the beginning, they asked a few questions of the nature of the scene, such as the development prospects of Jaguar Land Rover. Any plans or something.

Finally, a reporter asked, Mr. Li, it is said that the trade union organization is against this acquisition. I wonder if it is true?

Everyone can express their opinions, this is their freedom, isn't it? Li Weidong smiled and continued: But the labor union has no equity in Jaguar Land Rover, nor has it signed an agreement with Ford to refuse the acquisition. , so the opposition of the trade union organization is invalid and will not affect the legality of this acquisition.”

Mr. Li, it is said that the trade union organization will use practical actions to prevent this acquisition, such as protests, marches or strikes. What do you think about this, or how do you plan to respond? The reporter asked again.

Li Weidong thought about it and said, For this hypothetical question, I can only say that the decisions I make will comply with the laws of the United States.

Mr. Li, are you worried that the workers at the Jaguar Land Rover factory will go on strike? The reporter asked with an expression of breaking the casserole.

I'm not worried about this, I'm full of confidence in the future of Jaguar Land Rover. Li Weidong said without hesitation, even if he was very worried at this time, he could only slap the swollen face at the fat man.

When the issue of the strike appeared, the surrounding reporters immediately became interested. Compared with the acquisition of 1.5 billion US dollars, the workers' strike was more topical and hotter.

Those reporters who had lost interest in the past raised their cameras and aimed at Li Weidong, or took out a voice recorder.

At this moment, a figure walked through the crowd and walked in front of them. This person was Norwood Jewell.

Everyone, my name is Norwood Jewell, and I'm the representative of the Auto Workers Union! Norwood Jewell introduced himself, immediately attracting the attention of reporters.

After Norwood-Jewell finished introducing himself, he turned his head to look at Li Weidong and said, Mr. Li, on behalf of the 3,875 auto workers at the Bemhull factory, I would like to announce to you that from now on, we will conduct unlimited strike until you are willing to increase worker benefits as we demand.

Norwood-Jerwell said, took out a document, handed it to Li Weidong, and then said, Mr. Li, this is a written notice.

When this scene happened, the reporters at the scene immediately became excited. Everyone thought it was just an ordinary press conference, but they didn't expect such a big melon!

The employer just completed the acquisition, and he was still handsome for only three seconds, and the union jumped out to go on strike. Such a big show is rare in decades.

And a reporter just asked Li Weidong about the trade union strike, and Li Weidong just replied don't worry, but the strike came, which came too quickly.

People's eyes were focused on Li Weidong's face. They hoped to see the embarrassed or panicked expressions of the Chinese, but Li Weidong was still calm.

I saw Li Weidong took the written notice, looked down for a few times, and then asked, Mr. Norwood-Jerwell, are you sure you can represent the 3,875 auto workers at the Bemhull factory?

It's the UAW that represents the 3,875 workers at Bemhull, and I'm the UAW representative. So you can say I'm the representative of the 3,875 workers at Bemhull! Norwood Jay Will speaks carefully.

Li Weidong nodded and continued: In this case, I also have something to inform you, and I hope you can convey it to the workers. Since the workers' strike will cause the factory to be unable to continue operating, which will cause losses to the enterprise, and in order to reduce losses, so I have decided that in the next week, the Bemhull factory will lay off 5% of the staff in order to reduce the operating cost of the company and reduce losses.

As soon as these words came out, the audience was in an uproar!

When faced with a general strike, auto companies have always chosen to negotiate with trade unions and then make compromises to resolve the strike.

Not only the corporate industry, but also other industries with unions in the United States, and even civil servants of the US government will use strikes to negotiate with the government.

However, Li Weidong did the opposite. Not only did he not express his willingness to negotiate, he also made a layoff!

In the past few decades, there have been countless strikes in the United States, but this has never happened before. This is completely beyond the normal perception of Americans. In an instant, all the spotlights were aimed at Li Weidong and flashed, almost blinding him. Li Weidong's alloy dog ​​eyes.

Li Weidong blinked his eyes, barely adapted to the flash, and then continued: This 5% layoff will be given priority to those employees who do not obey the factory labor discipline, such as those who are absent from work, and will be included in the priority layoff list! Related , which I will send later.

The strike organized by the trade union is obviously an act of absenteeism. Li Weidong's statement this time means that whoever dares to strike, I will copy whoever's Yuyu!

Hearing this, Norwood Jewell's complacent expression suddenly turned gloomy.

Originally, Norwood-Jerwell had planned to slap Li Weidong in the face by announcing the strike in front of so many reporters, so that he could gain more benefits in the face of future negotiations.

Unexpectedly, Li Weidong did not give in, but chose Zhengman hard steel and directly resorted to layoffs. This move beyond Norwood Jewell's expectations also caused him to be in chaos.

Under normal circumstances, shouldn't he immediately admit his counsel and express his willingness to negotiate? Why are you still competing with me! Norwood Jewell was puzzled.

Not far away, Bill Ford also ate chicken slightly, and then showed a mocking smile on his face.

This Chinese is really an iron man. He doesn't know the power of the UAW! Our three major auto companies in the United States, with a history of a hundred years, have competed with the UAW countless times, but they have never taken advantage! You are now Be tough, wait a few days, there will be times when you cry!

...

The strike really happened, and Li Weidong's threat of layoffs didn't work.

At that time, Jaguar Land Rover mainly had two factories, one was the Haleyfield factory in Liverpool, England, which was also the original original factory of Jaguar.

The other is the Bemhull factory in the United States, which was established in the United States after Ford acquired Jaguar, and later integrated the Land Rover brand.

In the future, Jaguar Land Rover will have a third factory, which is the Changshu factory in China that cooperates with Chery.

Compared with those big car brands, Jaguar does not have many factories. Companies such as General Motors and Ford have factories in more than a dozen states in the United States, as well as various overseas factories.

And the factories of big brands are also larger, such as the largest factory of Volkswagen, with more than 60,000 employees.

Jaguar Land Rover has far fewer factories and a much smaller scale. This is mainly because Jaguar Land Rover, as a luxury car brand, does not have a high sales volume, so there is no need to build so many factories.

The Bemhull plant in the United States has about 4,400 employees, of which 3,875 are front-line auto workers, and they are also the groups on strike this time.

In fact, the main body of each strike is definitely the front-line workers. After all, if the administrative and logistics positions go on strike, it will have little impact on the production of the enterprise, so it will not have any effect.

What the developed countries lack are all front-line blue-collar workers, and there is no shortage of office, administrative and logistics positions, and the job market has grabbed a lot of them. In a place where business is developed in the United States, even senior managers are abundant in the market.

The American Automobile Federation has a century-old history of labor movements, and it is even more familiar with leading strikes. What should be done and what should not be done is clearly arranged.

After the strike started, the Bemhull factory also came to a standstill in an instant.

However, on the second day of the strike, a notice was posted at the Bemhull factory, and a list of 30 people appeared on the notice, which was the first batch of layoffs.

On closer inspection, these 30 people were all union cadres at the Bemhull factory, and they were also the main leaders of the strike.

...

On the street in front of the Bemhull factory, where workers on strike were holding signs, Hanks, the union leader, was one of them and was at the forefront.

Suddenly, someone ran over in a hurry, approached Hanks, and said, Hanks, an announcement has just been posted in the factory, which is a list of layoffs, a total of thirty people, including you, you. Laid off from the factory!

Really? Hanks had a determined expression. He had already received news from Norwood Jewell that the new boss was planning to make steel and lay off 5% of the workforce. It's normal to make cuts, and he's already mentally prepared.

I saw Hanks stood up, waved at the crowd, and then assumed a posture of giving a speech.

Everyone, please rest assured. Although the factory laid me off, our union is still there. The union will continue to fight for everyone's interests, and I, as a union member, will fight to the end with everyone!

The surrounding crowd immediately burst into warm applause and cheers.

In the face of layoffs, these 30 people did not go to any labor arbitration. First, layoffs in American companies are commonplace, and second, strikes are absenteeism, and companies have legitimate reasons to lay off absentee employees.

However, these 30 people are not in a panic. They all have trade unions as their backers. If they are laid off, they will be regarded as fake. Anyway, when the trade union negotiates with the management in the future, they will be invited back to the factory. Maybe there are more Easy post.

In American auto companies, many union cadres don’t work at all. Although they are called front-line auto workers, their daily job is to pay attention to workers’ welfare, drink tea and read a newspaper to record workers’ demands. One day has passed. And the company has to pay them wages, which is equivalent to raising a group of white-eyed wolves who don't work, and they specially make trouble for themselves.

This is also the ill that American companies and labor unions have accumulated over hundreds of years, especially in an industry with a long history such as automobiles.

The next day, another list of 30 layoffs was posted, but the workers still did not panic.

The layoff of 30 people has no effect on the 3,875 workers.

For the next few days, the list of 30 people will be announced every day. For a whole week, it did not stop even on weekends. A total of 210 people were laid off, which is more than 5%.

However, the workers remained indifferent.

The Auto Workers Union has a long history, and the workers are old fritters. Many people have participated in more than one strike, so everyone knows that according to past experience, as long as they persist, the management will definitely compromise.

However, the next day, a new announcement appeared. In the next five days, the factory will continue to lay off 5% of the workforce, the number of which is about 200!