Ekunqobeni okukhulu, abasebenzi befektri yakwaVolkswagen eChattanooga, eTennessee, bavote namuhla kusihlwa ngokuthi “UAW, yebo!” Indawo okuwukuphela kwayo yenkampani engeyona inyunyana ekugcineni izojoyina umhlaba wonke.
"Uma abasebenzi bakwaVolkswagen ezitshalweni eJalimane naseMexico benezinyunyana, kungani kungenjalo thina?" kusho osebenza ngemishini uBriam Calderon ngeSpanishi, ngaphambi kwevoti.
“Njengoba uMartin Luther King abe nephupho, sinephupho kwaVolkswagen lokuthi sizoba yi-UAW ngelinye ilanga,” kusho uRenee Berry, osebenza ekomitini elihlelayo osesebenze iminyaka engu-14 kulesi sikhungo. "Nakuba amavoti eqhubeka nokubalwa, umphumela ucacile: Abasebenzi bakwaVolkswagen e-Chattanooga bangabasebenzi bokuqala baseNingizimu Afrika ngaphandle kwe-Big Three ukunqoba inyunyana yabo," kubhala i-UAW esitatimendeni.
I-UAW igibele a igagasi lomfutho ngemva kokuwina izinkontileka eziyingqopha-mlando kwa-Big 3 automakers ngonyaka odlule. Abasebenzi abakhiqizayo kwaVolkswagen bahola u-$23 ngehora futhi bakhuphuke ngaphezu kuka-$32, uma kuqhathaniswa no-$43 wabasebenzi abakhiqizayo endaweni yokuhlanganisa iFord's Spring Hill ekupheleni kwenkontileka ngo-2028.
“Besibona ukuthi abanye abasebenzi bezimoto bebenzani uma kuqhathaniswa nalokhu ebesikwenza,” kusho uYolanda Peoples. ilungu lekomidi elihlelayo emgqeni wokuhlanganisa injini.
Ukuze kuqalwe umkhankaso wezinyunyana, iVolkswagen inyuse amaholo ngamaphesenti angu-11 ukuze ihambisane nokukhushulwa ngokushesha kwamalungu e-UAW atholwe kwaFord. Abantu babone iholo lakhe leqa lisuka ku-$29 laya ku-$32 ngehora.
“Ngesikhathi betelekile, sasibhekisisa ukuthi kwenzekeni. Kuthe uma sebewine inkontileka yabo, kwashintsha abantu abaningi basuka kwabamelene nenyunyana baba ngamalungu asekela inyunyana,” kusho uPeoples.
Ukuvota kwanamuhla bekuyisivivinyo esibalulekile sokuthi ngabe inyunyana ingakwazi yini ukusungula izinzuzo zesiteleka ukuze ziqhubekisele phambili ukuhlela okusha kumabheshini akudala aphikisana nenyunyana eNingizimu, izikhonkwane zokutshalwa kwezimali okukhulu kunguquko yemoto kagesi.
Amavoti abengu-2,628 avuna ukusungulwa kwenyunyana kwabangu-985 abaphikisana nayo. Kwaba namavoti ayisikhombisa aphikisiwe, amathathu evalekile; Bangu-4,326 abasebenzi abebefanele ukuvota.
Imizamo yangaphambilini kulesi sitshalo ngo-2014 nango-2019 yehle yaba nokuhlulwa okuncane. Ngaphambi kokuvota, abasebenzi bathe ozakwabo bafundile kulokho kulahlekelwa.
Bazichithile izinsongo zokuthi inyunyana izokwenza isitshalo singabi nokuncintisana futhi siholele ekutheni sivalwe. Phela, abakwaVW batshale izigidi ezingama- $800 lapha ngo-2019 ukukhiqiza i-ID Electric SUV.
“Sesiyibone kabili incwadi yokudlala yesitha, futhi abanayo iminyakazo emisha,” kusho uZach Costello, oyilungu lekomiti elihlelayo nomqeqeshi emgqeni womhlangano. "Amahithi amahle kakhulu manje."
Ikomidi elihlelayo lishaya amaphuzu aqagelekayo aphikisana nenyunyana ngezingxoxo endaweni yonke.
“Ekupheleni kosuku, besigxile sonke isikhathi sethu nokunaka kubantu ababalulekile,” kusho ilungu lekomidi elihlela u-Isaac Meadows, “futhi ngabasebenzi esisebenza nabo abavotayo.
“Manje abasebenzi bakwaMercedes [e-Alabama] basilandela. Sesibabekele inkundla yokuthi bawine futhi bazokwakha umfutho kwaHyundai noToyota.”
Abasebenzi bakwaMercedes bazovota kusukela ngoMeyi 13-16, ngesibalo samavoti kwabangu-17.
UKUPHENDULELA ABASEBENZISI
U-Angel Gomez uyazazi izinzuzo eziza nekhadi lenyunyana, njengoba eke waba umphathi we-Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) kanye nama-Teamsters emisebenzini emibili edlule.
UGomez walandela umndeni wakhe waya eTennessee ngemuva kokusebenza eSmithfield Foods naseMolson Coors eWisconsin, kanye naseFord eNew Jersey, lapho uyise abeka khona iminyaka engama-30. Uqashwe kwa-VW ngoNovemba odlule. Usebenza kuma-underbodies ama-Atlas SUVs acwebezelayo njengoba ehla ngomugqa ngesiqeshana esiqinile.
“Ekuqaleni ngangingazibandakanyi nenyunyana,” kusho uGomez, ngoba ngesikhathi evula umlomo abantu babazi ukuthi ungowaseNyakatho; wayengafuni bambhale phansi esajwayela. “Ngezansi lapha nginguYankee. Umbono uyikho konke. Bengingafuni abantu babone umuntu waseNew York okhuluma kahle waseBronx.”
Kodwa naphezu kokwesaba kwakhe, ngokushesha abantu base beza kuye bezokhuluma ngezinkinga embonini: “Abantu baqala ukungitshela—omhlophe, omnyama, akunandaba—ngakho konke ukukhetha.
Waqala ukukhuluma nedlanzana lezisebenzi ezikhuluma iSpanishi ezivela eVenezuela, eChile, eDominican Republic, naseMexico—ababona esisebenzini sasePuerto Rican othile ovela emasikweni abo, owayengasikhanyisela ngomkhankaso wezinyunyana ngenxa yokuhlangenwe nakho kwakhe siqu kwenyunyana.
“Ngaba nesithakazelo esikhethekile ekubhekeni abantu abenza izinto zabo, abanakekela imindeni yabo, futhi bahlale bejabulele umsebenzi,” kusho uGomez. Uthe laba bantu bavamise ukuba ngabasebenzi abakhuluma iSpanishi abaqinise amakhanda benze njengoba kushiwo.
Uthe waqinisekisa abasebenzi baseLatino emnyangweni wakhe ukuthi bavotele inyunyana. Kodwa akazigqizi qakala izinselelo. Abanye abantu bacabanga ukuthi “uma ungakholelwa kulokho umalume ubaba uTrump akutshela kona, kusho ukuthi ungumuntu omubi,” esho. "Leso kube yisiphazamiso esikhulu kunazo zonke - lonke uhlangothi lwezepolitiki luqhamuka kwesokudla."
AYIKHO IPOLITIK ENGABANTU
UMeadows uthe abagqugquzeli babasebenzi bafundile emikhankasweni yakudala ukuthi bangangeneli kakhulu kwezombusazwe, nokuthi ukuvakasha ezindlini akukufanele ukuhlehla.
Esikhundleni salokho, kulokhu, abasebenzi bagcizelele ukukhuluma nabasebenza nabo phansi ezitolo, behlanganisa amaphesenti angama-90 emboni enabaholi kuyo yonke imigqa.
Baphinde bagxila kakhulu ekutheni abasebenzi bathuthukise imisebenzi yabo futhi benze izimpilo zemindeni yabo zibe ngcono, kunokudonseka ekulweni nabalingisi be-GOP, umkhankaso we-astroturf, noma impi yebhodi lokukhangisa.
“Ipolitiki yeqembu ayihlangene nalokhu esikwenzayo lapha,” kusho uMeadows.
Inhlolovo yakamuva eyenzelwe i-Conservative Beacon Center ithole ukuthi amaphesenti angama-44 abaphendulile ezweni lonke eTennessee. ibuke kahle i-UAW, kuyilapho abangamaphesenti angu-19 nje kuphela beyibheka ngendlela engafanele.
Ngaphambi kwevoti, uMbusi wase-Tennessee Republican uBill Lee uxwayise abasebenzi ukuthi akufanele "babeke engcupheni ikusasa labo" ngokuvotela i-UAW futhi wabanxusa ukuthi bangayiyeki "inkululeko yokuzinqumela ngokwabo futhi bayinikeze lowo oxoxisana naye esikhundleni sabo. .”
“Umyalezo wakhe awulungile,” kusho uMeadows. "Njengamanje, ukuphela kwendlela esinokukhetha ngayo kule ndawo ukuthi, ngihlale noma ngiyeke."
U-Lee wayephinde adlale indima yakhe kusukela ngo-2019, lapho naye ephikisana nomkhankaso, eqhuma eceleni kwesikhulu esiphezulu salesi sikhungo. Ngaleso sikhathi, uMeadows uthe, abasebenzi bakhwele badilika kumbusi, futhi umkhankaso wenyunyana walahlekelwa ukwesekwa ngenxa yalokho. Kulokhu bakhulise amakomiti abo ngokugxila bodwa esikhundleni sosopolitiki.
“Isikhathi esiningi abantu bayahlakanipha. Futhi abayinakile inkohlakalo yepolitiki,” kusho uGomez. “Osopolitiki abazi lutho ngomsebenzi we-blue collar. Bazalwa benesipuni sesiliva emlonyeni wabo.”
Thatha uMbusi u-Lee, indlalifa yebhizinisi lomndeni wokwakha ocebile ngemali engenayo yonyaka engaphezulu kwezigidi ezingama- $ 220 ngo-2019 lapho eba umbusi.
'SISHAYELA LOMKHUMBI'
Njengesikhathi esidlule, bekunewebhusayithi ehlukumeza inyunyana, stillnouaw.com, kulokhu kunombhalo wenkundla yezokuxhumana ovela kuMongameli wangaphambilini uTrump ehlasela uMongameli we-UAW uShawn Fain futhi efanisa ukuvotela inyunyana nokweseka uMongameli Biden.
Kepha ikhasi le-Facebook elimelene nenyunyana libe “nokuthandwa” okungu-15 kuphela kusukela kuleli sonto. Amaqembu aphikisayo phambilini abebala amakhulu abasekeli abavulelekile. I-Tennesseans for Economic Freedom, okuyiqembu lezamabhizinisi, yadlala izikhangiso ze-Facebook ezibhalwe lo mlayezo: "I-UAW izosebenzisa imali yethu kwezombusazwe."
“Namanje abakaqapheli ukuthi sizithathela isinqumo,” kusho uVictor Vaughn, oyilungu lekomiti elihlelayo. “Yithina esishayela lo mkhumbi.”
UKhongolose u-Chuck Fleischmann uthole umlayezo. Nakuba emelene nomkhankaso wokugcina, kulokhu uFleischmann wagxeka ozakwabo baseRepublican futhi wenqaba ukungenela. “Le yinto engizovumela abasebenzi ukuthi banqume,” usho kanje utshele I-HuffPost.
Sekukonke, umkhankaso we-GOP omelene negagasi lokuhlela le-UAW lamanje awubanga nonya noma uhlanganiswe njengakumadrayivu adlule. Kungemva kokuba inyunyana ifake isicelo sokhetho e-Alabama naseTennessee lapho ababusi baseGeorgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, naseTexas bakhipha isitatimende esihlanganyelwe esiphikisa inyunyana.
They wabhala ukuthi bebebona “ukwehla kwesiteleka seDetroit Three lapho labo benzi bezimoto becabanga kabusha ngokutshalwa kwezimali kanye nokunciphisa imisebenzi. Ukubeka amabhizinisi ezifundazweni zethu kuleso sikhundla yinto yokugcina esifuna ukuyenza. ”
Izinsongo ziyasho. Kodwa qhathanisa lokho no-2014, lapho uSenator waseTennessee u-Bob Corker ethi imboni ye-VW izothola ulayini wokukhiqiza we-SUV uma abasebenzi benqaba i-UAW, futhi osopolitiki bezifundazwe besabisa ngokugodla intela uma abasebenzi bevotela i-UAW.
IPHEPHA LOKUKHULUMA
Ngaphambi kokhetho lwaleli sonto, abaphathi bazofunda izwi nezwi ephephandabeni lenkampani elibizwa ngokuthi “The Talking Paper,” elibhalwe ngendlela yokuthi lifake ukungabaza ngenyunyana ngaphandle kokuwelela endaweni yokusebenza engafanele.
“Njalo uma kuphuma i-'Talking Paper'," kusho u-Costello, "ngisho nomphathi wami ufana nokuthi 'Kuzothatha isikhashana,' ngoba kufanele bafunde wonke amagama njengoba ebhaliwe. Abakwazi ukukuphawula uCliff."
Noma kunjalo, ingxenye enkulu yamacala omkhuba wokusebenza ngokungafanele i-UAW ewafake kuleli gagasi lokuhlela kuze kube manje asekwaVolkswagen. “Sibabonile abantu abaqamba amanga ukuthi banamanga uma bethi abathathi hlangothi,” kusho uCostello.
Ukwehlula izinyunyana ezedlule, inkampani ithembise ukunyusa amaholo futhi ibhekane nezokuphepha. Kodwa abasebenzi bathi lokhu kuphenduke izithembiso eziyize. Ngo-2019, iVolkswagen yabuyisa umongameli wenkampani owayevule imboni ekuqaleni.
"Wonke umuntu wayemthanda uFrank Fisher," kusho uPeoples, owaqashwa ngo-2011. "Ngakho-ke lapho efika futhi enxusa, futhi wathi, 'Nikeza i-Volkswagen elinye ithuba lapha e-Chattanooga, asikakaqedi okwamanje, sizohamba. ukwenza izinguquko ezithile, futhi ngizoba nawe lapha,' lokho kwathonya abantu abaningi futhi kwaphendula namavoti abo aba ngono.
“Abantu bayaqonda ukuthi bazama nje ukusikhohlisa njengoba benzile izikhathi ezimbili ezedlule,” kusho uVaughn.
UCostello uthe iVolkswagen ithumele uFisher eJalimane ngemuva nje kokuvota. Uthe: "Futhi sikuphathele lokho kulo mkhankaso."
U-Renee wahlinza izikhathi eziningi ngesikhathi sakhe eside embonini. Engena kulo mkhankaso uthe ukuphepha yikona okumkhathaza kakhulu. “Ngifuna ukuphuma emsebenzini ngendlela engangingene ngayo,” kusho yena. Kodwa izimo kulesi sikhungo seziwohlokile kangangokuthi uthi abasebenzi bakhathazekile ngokuthi bazophuma emsebenzini bephila noma bekhubazekile.
“Ungase ulahlekelwe umlenze noma isandla,” kusho yena. "Ngithole okokwenziwa ehlombe lami" kusukela ekudabukeni kwe-rotator cuff. “Nginomzukulu oneminyaka emithathu engingakwazi ukumlanda. Ngakho impilo yami isishintshile, kodwa ngisazoqhubeka ngoba ngifake igazi eliningi, umjuluko nezinyembezi kulesi sitshalo.”
ISANGO LOKUYA ENINGIZIMU
Isazi-mlando sezabasebenzi uNelson Lichtenstein siqhathanise ukunqoba kwanamuhla kusihlwa nokunqoba kweButho Lezempi eChattanooga ngo-1863, phakathi neMpi Yombango yase-US, lapho uMongameli u-Abraham Lincoln ethi “isango elibheke eNingizimu.”
Ethatha i-Chattanooga, uLichtenstein uthe, "kuvule umnyango wokuthunjwa kwe-Atlanta, yonke indawo yaseGeorgia, kanye neCarolinas.
“Ngokuwina kwe-UAW kwaVolkswagen, kuvulwe elinye isango elibheke eNingizimu. Izindinganiso zamaholo kanye nezinzuzo zabasebenzi bezimoto abayizigidi eziqinile e-US ngeke besakwazi ukusethwa ingxenye engeyona eyenyunyana yomkhakha. I-UAW enodlame nekhula ngamandla izobeka izinga.”
U-Costello, naye, ubona ama-horizons amasha evuleka. “Uma abasebenzi bengabumbana kuleli, ngicabanga ukuthi singanyakaza kakhulu,” usho kanje. "Singakwazi nokwenza ushintsho oludlula indawo yethu yokusebenza."
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