A list of General Motor workers are publicly being called out by the United Auto Workers union for choosing to not pay their union dues, a pressure tactic that is being considered as intimidation by one longtime GM employee.
Published on the union's website under the "Important Information" section, names and work stations of more than 31 workers at the Fairfax, Kan., GM plant have been revealed. Additionally, UAW Local 1853 have also exposed the identities of more than 40 workers at the Spring Hill, Tenn., GM plant in a "Scab Report" listing, which eventually found its way into the plant, according to a photo obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
"The following individuals are NON-dues paying workers. They have chosen to STOP paying Union Dues and still reap the rewards of your negotiated benefits," the sign says. "If you work near one of these people listed please explain the importance of Solidarity and the power of collective bargaining."
A GM employee, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution from the union, was allegedly approached by three different workers, two of whom were reportedly hostile.
"They put our names out there so people will pressure us," said one worker, who was a former dues paying member for three decades. "One guy called me a scab outright. I don't appreciate that. I was disgusted by it."
"They put our names out there so people will pressure us," the unidentified worker continued. "One guy called me a scab outright. I don't appreciate that. I was disgusted by it."
However, the public list was meant to "start conversations about UAW benefits between workers and not meant to cause any harm to non-union workers," said local union president Tim Stannard, who published the list.
"It says to talk to them, explain the importance of collective bargaining and solidarity. I'm not trying to intimidate anybody," Stannard said. "We need to join together to stay strong and solid and we have people that are not in the union and that weakens us. You got to pick your game up a little bit in a right to work state and offer services to members. We try and be involved in the community and I think we are a strong union that tries to please our membership first."
But the anonymous worker claimed that the union's nepotism and defense of bad workers was the exact reason that had driven him away from the UAW, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
"I have had more trouble with the union than with management and after this I will never come back to the UAW," he said. "What they do behind the scenes is harass non-members, those who choose not to belong."
Meanwhile, UAW's history of using personal information to harass easy targets in a plant should be a huge warning sign for workers, where they are given the freedom to opt out of the union, said Glenn Taubmann, a lawyer at the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, according to Fox News.
"It comes as no surprise that unions in right to work states engage in all sorts of harassment and pressure tactics against independent-minded workers," he said. "The ugly truth is that once UAW bosses get into power, they will not tolerate any worker who refused to 'voluntarily' join and pay dues. Their view of 'voluntary' unionism is an iron fist against anyone who dissents."
"The UAW is forming so-called 'voluntary' locals, and says it has turned over a new leaf. But the fact that it publishes a 'hit list' against non-members in Spring Hill, Tenn., who won't 'volunteer' for union membership shows its true colors: it is the same old Detroit-based UAW, rife with harassment and abuse for every independent-minded employee who disagrees with its dictates," Taubmann concluded.
