May 14, 2024 • 26 mins
The Trump tumor is metastasizing, and Democrats seem unable to stop it. Something good that's unstoppable is the current union drive across America; currently Mercedes auto workers are unionizing in Alabama, and Kay Finklea joined Danielle to talk all about it.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:11):
Good morning, peeps, and welcome to wok F Daily with
Meet your Girl Danielle Moody, recording from the Home Bunker. Folks,
you know, I gotta say something about Donald Trump's trials
that are happening right now, which is that currently you
(00:32):
have Republicans whose names you know, some of them you know,
some of them you do not know, that are showing
up at Donald Trump's trials. And right before I came
on to record today's episode, CNN was doing an interview
with Elis Stefanik, who you know is just a heinous,
(00:55):
fucking individual. She's a liar, she's reprehensible. She gave you know,
herself a Maga makeover and just has anointed herself as
Donald Trump's mouthpiece, and you know is doing so because
they're all vying to be vice president or to be
considered vice president and to be a part of the
(01:15):
you know, audition to be Donald Trump's number two. And
Elie stefanic is in front of the courthouse as Stormy
Daniels and others. I think right now, Michael Cohen is
on the stand. We know that last week Stormy Daniels
gave graphic detail about sleeping with Donald Trump, and you know,
(01:37):
Michael Cohen is now testifying to the larger cover up.
And you hear Donald Trump on audio talking about how
this is very, very bad for the election. Not his marriage, right,
not in terms of business accounting, as his sons and
other people have said, like, oh, this is just a
ma this was a clerical error. It was an error
(01:58):
in a lot of ways. But at least Stephonik found
herself talking about the fact that this is all politically motivated.
It's a political witch hunt, you know. Side Vance refused
to prosecute this case, the Department of Justice refused to
prosecute this case, and it's all a sham and blah
blah blah. And the reality is, folks, is that it's
(02:20):
not a sham. Is it salacious? Yes? Is it you know,
reprehensible that a man that has been you know, nominated
as a Republican candidate for president is involved in such
a salacious, you know, scandal that involves bribery, hush money,
election interference. You know, because honestly, if this was just
(02:43):
about a blowjob, as it was with you know, Bill
Clinton in the nineties, if this was just about an affair,
I really wouldn't give a fuck. Donald Trump is a misogynist,
He is an alleged sexual assaulter. He is a whole
lot of things. Right. We know, oh what Donald Trump
thinks about women. He told us what he thinks about women. Right,
(03:04):
you can grab him by the pussy, you can do
whatever it is that you want. So if it was
just that he fucked a porn star, I honestly wouldn't care,
right like, because look at him. Clearly the man has
to pay, right Like, Ain't nobody want to do that
for free? Right? Mulania is getting something out of the
(03:25):
deal because she gets the Trump last name. She solidified
the deal with a kid, and you know she's written
into the will and has you know, an allowance and
money and all of the things, right that come along
with Donald Trump. But we know that when we zoom in,
she don't even want to hold his fucking hand, right,
And you haven't seen her shown up in court right
to stand by her man. So if it were just sex,
(03:50):
this would be a non issue. But the fact is
that this case isn't about Donald Trump sleeping with a
porn star. It is about Donald Trump using the National
Enquirer and his relationship there. One to sabotage his political opponents.
That's not what's on trial, because we know what journalism,
(04:14):
or lack thereof does in this country politically, the fucking
National Inquirer. We don't think you know that a outlet
that goes on the search for illegitimate children, you know,
made by Bigfoot, you know that happened on in UFO,
is you know, groundbreaking journalistic reporting. But the fact is
(04:38):
that Donald Trump had his lawyer pay off a porn
star in a series of checks that he signed while
he was President of the United States that Michael Cohen
himself went to jail for to cover for Donald Trump.
So if Michael Cohen can go to jail right for
(05:01):
his part in this cover up, tell me why the
man that told him to cover things up isn't responsible
for the crime that was committed. And so when you
have a leased Stephonic and now you have apparently Tim
Scott's going to roll up to the courthouse in jd
vance and folks are saying, oh, is this actually how
(05:25):
Donald Trump is deciding who's going to be the next VP.
I've reported on this before, where people that are being
interviewed as part of Project twenty twenty five to go
into their right wing swamp of a LinkedIn to be
a part of this fascist takeover of America. That one
of the questions that are asked is do you believe
(05:46):
that the election in twenty twenty was stolen? Who? Or
the question better yet is probably phrased of who won
the twenty twenty election? And if you don't say Donald Trump,
guess what, you're not up in the mix. You are
out passed. So you either have to feign ignorance, write
(06:09):
and lie really well, or you just have to be
a part of a cult and actually believe it down
to your core. I'm not quite sure which is worse.
But the fact is that we are watching what we
thought was just, you know, a tumor named Trump that
(06:31):
could be removed from our body politic metastasize and spread
in a way where we are watching current senators base
themselves in order to align with Donald Trump's power. This
(06:53):
corrosion will not end until we, the people make it end.
Donald Trump is going to continue, his power is going
to continue to grow. They're going to continue to be
these copycats and these wannabes until this man is put
(07:15):
out of his electoral misery, meaning that we unanimously vote
in twenty twenty four to fucking rid ourselves of Donald Trump.
That's the only way, folks, because otherwise we are in
(07:38):
for it. And what we joke about as folks on
Earth two will become our reality because they will make
it such. And that, to me is what is even
more terrifying. Now. I know, I have conversations on this
show every day where I'm saying that swallowing the pill
(08:03):
of Joe Biden is like drinking bleach and you know,
and washing it down with knives, given what this man
is doing in Gaza and Israel. But the fact is
that just when you think that things can't get worse,
I promise you, I promise you, they fucking will. And
(08:29):
so you know, as we make this March less than
two hundred days away, we know that Judge Alien Cannon
has completely torpedoed the Document's case so that'll never get heard.
(08:49):
We know that the Supreme Court is in the midst
of anointing presidents a king with their decision with the
immunity case, and the fact that they are even having
and hearing arguments about presidential immunity is insane. So we
(09:10):
already know the corrosion, so that case is not going
to be heard anytime before the election. The hush money case,
as the DA's trying to tell us, the electoral interference case,
that's what we got. And finally the Georgia case, also
(09:37):
given what happened with Fannie Willis, will not be heard
before November twenty twenty four. So this is all we got.
And I don't know how it will turn out. I
don't know what a jury in New York will do.
We know that Donald Trump, even if he's convicted, he
(10:00):
it's not like we're going to see him in an
orange jumpsuit. They will appeal, appeal, appeal, appeal because they
have the money to do so. A hung jury in
this case will bode well for him. He'll be able
to fundraise around it. Look, it was a witch hunt
because even the people of the Liberal Sewer New York
didn't convict me. We are in a precarious place, friends,
(10:24):
and so what it comes down to is that the
only people that are going to be able to save
us are us. So we have to think really hard
about where we want to be come November twenty twenty four,
and the decisions that are going to come out of
(10:44):
this election that are not just going to be about
our lives, but about everyone who we love now and
generations to come. Coming up next, dear friends, I'm continuing
my conversation with auto workers on their fight to unionize,
and now we are moving to another facility. We spoke
(11:09):
with folks that we're working at a Volkswagen facility, and
now we are moving to another auto workers facility because
what we are seeing is that the desire to unionize
is growing in this country and the conversation and the
narrative around unions are changing for the better. And so
(11:30):
coming up next we will have a conversation with another
auto worker about their current fight to unionize. Folks. I
am very happy to welcome to Woke f Daily K Finkley,
who has been a worker at the Mercedes benz Us
(11:52):
International plant near Vance, Alabama for twenty three years and
has been working as a volunteer to help organize the
plant and unionize the plant. Okay, tell us about your
work over the last twenty three years and this push
to organize and unionize your plant.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Okay. When I first started, the job was great, a
career job, and everything was well. People work together, the
atmosphere was great and your pay was good at the time.
At the year's progress, your pay didn't move but stayed
the same. So it became an issue. And the atmosphere changed,
(12:36):
the work environment became different, management was different, and so
things just went downhill, and we're to the point where
we need a change, we need something better, and we
need to make a difference.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
What are some of the difficulties that you have faced
over the last twenty three years, Like when you say
that things have changed and management has changed, and like
the environment has changed. What are some of the things
that you are organizing around for your plant?
Speaker 2 (13:08):
The favoritism, the treatment as far as promotions, just our
pay in general, the fact that it's not moving, it's
just staying the same, whereas everything around us is going up.
So that's one of the major issues. But just the
treatment as far as management and how they treat us,
it's almost like we're not important, like we're invisible.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Has there been any pushback from the Mercedes Benz plant
for your trying to unionize. We spoke to folks at
Volkswagen in Tennessee, and you know, they weren't allowed to
talk about unionizing. They could only they weren't allowed to
do it on the line. They could only do it
during their breaks. People were intimidated or threatened. So what
(13:55):
has the experience been like for you all?
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Pretty much the thing not being allowed to talk about it.
Videos telling you why the union is so bad for
us basically, you know, threatening around about way, not directly,
but kind of thing. If you get a union, then
you won't baby use the restroom. If you get a union,
(14:21):
you won't be able to talk to your supervisors. You
have to go between the union rep and your supervisor.
That kind of thing. Just trying to place fear in
people to make them think that basically they wouldn't be
able to communicate or have restroom breaks, certain things like that,
which is.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Crazy because that, I mean, the unions do the exact opposite,
at least that's my understanding, which is to make sure
that you workers are protected. Is that not right?
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Correct? Exactly? And then if you have to go to
the restroom, it's against the law to refuse someone to
take a restroom break. But those are the things that
they're killing people because you have newer people and they're fared,
So those are the things that they feel that they
can put in their mindset to keep them from voting.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Yet, So, how are you able to spread the message
of the importance of the unions? What the United Auto Workers,
because that's what I'm assuming the union that you are
trying to create. How do you talk to people and
where do you talk to them if it's not allowed,
you know, on the line.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
We try to have meetings and get people to come
out to the meetings or out in the parking lot,
different things like that over the phone, try to do
on your break so that if not doing work hours
and we try to explain to them that we need
a voice. We need to be able to have a
feat at the table to bargain so that we're treated
(15:56):
fairly and some of the stuff that we're getting as
or it's the unfair pay, the benefits, not having profit sharing,
different things like that, we'll be able to actually bargain
for those items.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
What are some of the things that you all are
asking for, Like what is on your list of I
would say demands or requests.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Better pay, better benefits, better retirement, profit sharing, better work hours,
fair treatment across the board for everyone just to be
treated fairly so everyone's receiving the site treatment.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
And what is the response been from Mercedes?
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Like I said, they're showing negative videos just about every
week now. They're sending messages to our phones. We have
something called the MBUSI Insider app where they're supposed to
post information daily. They're flooding us with it, all kinds
of negative stuff about if we get a union, we
won't be a family anymore. If we bring in a union,
(17:02):
it's gonna change everything, the rules will be different. Just
the negativity. Everything that they say is negative towards the union,
and they're actually supposed to be neutral, but it's.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
Far from that. How many people are in your plant?
What's the size of your plant?
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Well, they're saying that we have five thousand eligible people
that's able to vote for the union against or four
five thousand okay, five thousand okay, man, how many volunteers
like yourself are there? And like, what is what does
your efforts look like so that you can reach all
of those people? Because you can't I'm assuming you don't
(17:44):
have an app, right, so you can't do what the
company is doing to just reach people via text on
their phone. So how do you reach that many people?
In the beginning, we just went from phone to phone,
just calling people, talking to people, communicating. But we've gotten
some help from the UAW and so now we do
(18:06):
have apps that we're able to do maths connections with.
So that's helping out tremendously.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
And what are some of the fears that when you
get on the phone with your fellow employees. What are
some of the things that they say to you about
what they've heard or the reason why they could be
thinking about voting against unionizing. They're afraid that they're gonna
shut the plant down and move to a different play
because that's what's being said that if we unionize, they're
(18:36):
going to shut it down and move. They say stuff like,
you know, we can't afford to go on a strike,
So what are we going to do to prevent that,
or what can we do to prevent that? They're worried
about things like that. Are there other plans with Mercedes
that are unionized or would this be one of the
(18:59):
first ones in the US.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
The Germany plant is unionized and then Diaimler trucks just
became unionized. But we'll be the first here.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
You'll be the first here. So they're not this is
not new to them right like they so they have unions.
They're just trying to hold out because you all are
one of the last.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Well, we give them what it's called the Alabama discount,
where they get the labor for free pretty much or
basically almost free anyway, because they're not paying us what
we deserve to be paid.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Do you know what the comparison is between the plants
like the one in Germany? I know it's different because
we have dollars, but are their plants like Do you
understand how different or better they are operating?
Speaker 2 (19:49):
From my understanding, their work hours are totally different. We
work twelve hours a day. They work eight hours a day.
We work weekends and saturdays for straight pay. They don't
work in any weekend. They have time with their families,
and we struggle with that because our hours are so long.
And so the difference is the hours and their wages
(20:09):
they make. As far as I know, no one has
actually given me an actual amount, but I'm being told
that they make more than we do on work less hours.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
So they have weekends off, yes, ma'am, they work less hours,
yes ma'am, and they get paid more, yes, ma'am. That
is incredible. So let me ask you this. When you
work a twelve hour shift, which is half a day,
(20:39):
how many breaks do you get?
Speaker 2 (20:42):
We get a two ten minute breaks, and then we
get a thirty five minute lunch break, and at the
end of the day you get I think it's like
a five minute break that you get right before time
to go home. If I'm not mistaken. I don't hardly
(21:03):
ever get to take them in my department because I'm
always doing something during that time. But I think it's
too ten minute breaks. No, let me kind say it's
a ten minute break in the morning because they just
changed the schedule. Actually ten minute break in the morning,
a thirty five minute lunch break, and then you get
(21:23):
two fifteen minute breaks at the latter part.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Of the day during twelve whole hours. Yes, ma'am, that's
not a lot of time.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
No, ma'am, it's not.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
It's not so really. It really just I'm like, in
my head, I'm trying to do the math, and I'm
saying I would assume too, that a majority of your
job is on your feet, right like that you're standing
up during that time, yes, ma'am, on a line, My goodness.
So if this vote happens and between May thirteenth and
(21:58):
May seventeenth, how quickly would things change if it is
a yes vote for a union.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
I'm hoping that it will change immediately. I'm hoping Mercedes
won't drag anything out that once we start to bargain
and come up with the contract, hopefully we can go
ahead and come to an agreement and get everything settled
so it won't be, you know, a long drug drug
out process.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
And if it fails, okay, what does that mean.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
If not gonna fail, we're gonna win. There's no room
for fail. And we've worked too hard for this, put
in too much time, too much effort. We're gonna win.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
How long have you all been organizing for You've been
at this plant for twenty three years. How long has
this organizing process been in the works for.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
This particular time. We started back in November, but we've
tried different times before and it just never got off.
We couldn't get enough people. It just never made it
this far. And this particular campaign, people are just tired.
They're tired of the hours, they're tired of the treatment.
(23:13):
So it was easy as far as actually getting once
we talk to people, it was easy getting them to,
you know, say yes they were willing to vote or
help or just whatever we.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Needed, because I would say right that the worst that
could happen is that nothing changes, meaning that you're still
working long hours, still working weekends, and still have the
same pay. So if you're talking to people joining a union,
you're saying things could only go up from here, They
(23:47):
can only get better.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Right.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
My last question for u K is you know, what
do you want people to understand about your type of
work that may not be in you know, may not
understand when when they see, oh, this company is trying
to unionize, or this company is trying to unionize in
a headline, but they don't really understand what that means.
(24:17):
What do you want people to understand and know about
unions and their importance, particularly in the type of work
that you do.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
So, as the auto auto maker or a worker, we
work hard and the days are long. We take pride
in what we do, so we feel like we should
be compensated for those things. And with the union, you
can receive the treatment that you're supposed to receive. You
(24:49):
have the voice, the apps for things, whereas right now
we have something called open door policy, but it's no
such thing, because you can't go and talk to the
president or talk to the vice president if you need something.
That's not how it works. It's said that's how it works,
but it's not. With the union, it can happen because
(25:10):
we can have a feat at the table to ask
for certain things and to bargain for certain things. So
the union would help transform the situation that we're in
right now to just make it better. I don't think it. Well,
it can get worse because Mercedes good. Yeah, it could
get worse, But with the union, I just think it's
(25:33):
just gonna be better for us all around, and not
just for one individual. It will be better for all
of us as a whole.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Well, okay, I wish you luck. I hope that everything
goes the way that you will want it to. That
people have recognized the unions are important and they are helpful,
and they are necessary in order to protect workers like
you from being exploited from major companies. So thank you
(26:00):
so much for taking the time to speak with me
today on wok F. Really appreciate you and wish you love.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Thank you so much. You have a great day.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
That is it for me today, Dear friends on wok
f as always power to the people and to all
the people. Power. Get woke and stay woke as fuck.
Good morning, peeps, and welcome to wok F Daily with
Meet your Girl Danielle Moody, recording from the Home Bunker. Folks,
you know, I gotta say something about Donald Trump's trials
that are happening right now, which is that currently you
(00:32):
have Republicans whose names you know, some of them you know,
some of them you do not know, that are showing
up at Donald Trump's trials. And right before I came
on to record today's episode, CNN was doing an interview
with Elis Stefanik, who you know is just a heinous,
(00:55):
fucking individual. She's a liar, she's reprehensible. She gave you know,
herself a Maga makeover and just has anointed herself as
Donald Trump's mouthpiece, and you know is doing so because
they're all vying to be vice president or to be
considered vice president and to be a part of the
(01:15):
you know, audition to be Donald Trump's number two. And
Elie stefanic is in front of the courthouse as Stormy
Daniels and others. I think right now, Michael Cohen is
on the stand. We know that last week Stormy Daniels
gave graphic detail about sleeping with Donald Trump, and you know,
(01:37):
Michael Cohen is now testifying to the larger cover up.
And you hear Donald Trump on audio talking about how
this is very, very bad for the election. Not his marriage, right,
not in terms of business accounting, as his sons and
other people have said, like, oh, this is just a
ma this was a clerical error. It was an error
(01:58):
in a lot of ways. But at least Stephonik found
herself talking about the fact that this is all politically motivated.
It's a political witch hunt, you know. Side Vance refused
to prosecute this case, the Department of Justice refused to
prosecute this case, and it's all a sham and blah
blah blah. And the reality is, folks, is that it's
(02:20):
not a sham. Is it salacious? Yes? Is it you know,
reprehensible that a man that has been you know, nominated
as a Republican candidate for president is involved in such
a salacious, you know, scandal that involves bribery, hush money,
election interference. You know, because honestly, if this was just
(02:43):
about a blowjob, as it was with you know, Bill
Clinton in the nineties, if this was just about an affair,
I really wouldn't give a fuck. Donald Trump is a misogynist,
He is an alleged sexual assaulter. He is a whole
lot of things. Right. We know, oh what Donald Trump
thinks about women. He told us what he thinks about women. Right,
(03:04):
you can grab him by the pussy, you can do
whatever it is that you want. So if it was
just that he fucked a porn star, I honestly wouldn't care,
right like, because look at him. Clearly the man has
to pay, right Like, Ain't nobody want to do that
for free? Right? Mulania is getting something out of the
(03:25):
deal because she gets the Trump last name. She solidified
the deal with a kid, and you know she's written
into the will and has you know, an allowance and
money and all of the things, right that come along
with Donald Trump. But we know that when we zoom in,
she don't even want to hold his fucking hand, right,
And you haven't seen her shown up in court right
to stand by her man. So if it were just sex,
(03:50):
this would be a non issue. But the fact is
that this case isn't about Donald Trump sleeping with a
porn star. It is about Donald Trump using the National
Enquirer and his relationship there. One to sabotage his political opponents.
That's not what's on trial, because we know what journalism,
(04:14):
or lack thereof does in this country politically, the fucking
National Inquirer. We don't think you know that a outlet
that goes on the search for illegitimate children, you know,
made by Bigfoot, you know that happened on in UFO,
is you know, groundbreaking journalistic reporting. But the fact is
(04:38):
that Donald Trump had his lawyer pay off a porn
star in a series of checks that he signed while
he was President of the United States that Michael Cohen
himself went to jail for to cover for Donald Trump.
So if Michael Cohen can go to jail right for
(05:01):
his part in this cover up, tell me why the
man that told him to cover things up isn't responsible
for the crime that was committed. And so when you
have a leased Stephonic and now you have apparently Tim
Scott's going to roll up to the courthouse in jd
vance and folks are saying, oh, is this actually how
(05:25):
Donald Trump is deciding who's going to be the next VP.
I've reported on this before, where people that are being
interviewed as part of Project twenty twenty five to go
into their right wing swamp of a LinkedIn to be
a part of this fascist takeover of America. That one
of the questions that are asked is do you believe
(05:46):
that the election in twenty twenty was stolen? Who? Or
the question better yet is probably phrased of who won
the twenty twenty election? And if you don't say Donald Trump,
guess what, you're not up in the mix. You are
out passed. So you either have to feign ignorance, write
(06:09):
and lie really well, or you just have to be
a part of a cult and actually believe it down
to your core. I'm not quite sure which is worse.
But the fact is that we are watching what we
thought was just, you know, a tumor named Trump that
(06:31):
could be removed from our body politic metastasize and spread
in a way where we are watching current senators base
themselves in order to align with Donald Trump's power. This
(06:53):
corrosion will not end until we, the people make it end.
Donald Trump is going to continue, his power is going
to continue to grow. They're going to continue to be
these copycats and these wannabes until this man is put
(07:15):
out of his electoral misery, meaning that we unanimously vote
in twenty twenty four to fucking rid ourselves of Donald Trump.
That's the only way, folks, because otherwise we are in
(07:38):
for it. And what we joke about as folks on
Earth two will become our reality because they will make
it such. And that, to me is what is even
more terrifying. Now. I know, I have conversations on this
show every day where I'm saying that swallowing the pill
(08:03):
of Joe Biden is like drinking bleach and you know,
and washing it down with knives, given what this man
is doing in Gaza and Israel. But the fact is
that just when you think that things can't get worse,
I promise you, I promise you, they fucking will. And
(08:29):
so you know, as we make this March less than
two hundred days away, we know that Judge Alien Cannon
has completely torpedoed the Document's case so that'll never get heard.
(08:49):
We know that the Supreme Court is in the midst
of anointing presidents a king with their decision with the
immunity case, and the fact that they are even having
and hearing arguments about presidential immunity is insane. So we
(09:10):
already know the corrosion, so that case is not going
to be heard anytime before the election. The hush money case,
as the DA's trying to tell us, the electoral interference case,
that's what we got. And finally the Georgia case, also
(09:37):
given what happened with Fannie Willis, will not be heard
before November twenty twenty four. So this is all we got.
And I don't know how it will turn out. I
don't know what a jury in New York will do.
We know that Donald Trump, even if he's convicted, he
(10:00):
it's not like we're going to see him in an
orange jumpsuit. They will appeal, appeal, appeal, appeal because they
have the money to do so. A hung jury in
this case will bode well for him. He'll be able
to fundraise around it. Look, it was a witch hunt
because even the people of the Liberal Sewer New York
didn't convict me. We are in a precarious place, friends,
(10:24):
and so what it comes down to is that the
only people that are going to be able to save
us are us. So we have to think really hard
about where we want to be come November twenty twenty four,
and the decisions that are going to come out of
(10:44):
this election that are not just going to be about
our lives, but about everyone who we love now and
generations to come. Coming up next, dear friends, I'm continuing
my conversation with auto workers on their fight to unionize,
and now we are moving to another facility. We spoke
(11:09):
with folks that we're working at a Volkswagen facility, and
now we are moving to another auto workers facility because
what we are seeing is that the desire to unionize
is growing in this country and the conversation and the
narrative around unions are changing for the better. And so
(11:30):
coming up next we will have a conversation with another
auto worker about their current fight to unionize. Folks. I
am very happy to welcome to Woke f Daily K Finkley,
who has been a worker at the Mercedes benz Us
(11:52):
International plant near Vance, Alabama for twenty three years and
has been working as a volunteer to help organize the
plant and unionize the plant. Okay, tell us about your
work over the last twenty three years and this push
to organize and unionize your plant.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Okay. When I first started, the job was great, a
career job, and everything was well. People work together, the
atmosphere was great and your pay was good at the time.
At the year's progress, your pay didn't move but stayed
the same. So it became an issue. And the atmosphere changed,
(12:36):
the work environment became different, management was different, and so
things just went downhill, and we're to the point where
we need a change, we need something better, and we
need to make a difference.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
What are some of the difficulties that you have faced
over the last twenty three years, Like when you say
that things have changed and management has changed, and like
the environment has changed. What are some of the things
that you are organizing around for your plant?
Speaker 2 (13:08):
The favoritism, the treatment as far as promotions, just our
pay in general, the fact that it's not moving, it's
just staying the same, whereas everything around us is going up.
So that's one of the major issues. But just the
treatment as far as management and how they treat us,
it's almost like we're not important, like we're invisible.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Has there been any pushback from the Mercedes Benz plant
for your trying to unionize. We spoke to folks at
Volkswagen in Tennessee, and you know, they weren't allowed to
talk about unionizing. They could only they weren't allowed to
do it on the line. They could only do it
during their breaks. People were intimidated or threatened. So what
(13:55):
has the experience been like for you all?
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Pretty much the thing not being allowed to talk about it.
Videos telling you why the union is so bad for
us basically, you know, threatening around about way, not directly,
but kind of thing. If you get a union, then
you won't baby use the restroom. If you get a union,
(14:21):
you won't be able to talk to your supervisors. You
have to go between the union rep and your supervisor.
That kind of thing. Just trying to place fear in
people to make them think that basically they wouldn't be
able to communicate or have restroom breaks, certain things like that,
which is.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Crazy because that, I mean, the unions do the exact opposite,
at least that's my understanding, which is to make sure
that you workers are protected. Is that not right?
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Correct? Exactly? And then if you have to go to
the restroom, it's against the law to refuse someone to
take a restroom break. But those are the things that
they're killing people because you have newer people and they're fared,
So those are the things that they feel that they
can put in their mindset to keep them from voting.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Yet, So, how are you able to spread the message
of the importance of the unions? What the United Auto Workers,
because that's what I'm assuming the union that you are
trying to create. How do you talk to people and
where do you talk to them if it's not allowed,
you know, on the line.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
We try to have meetings and get people to come
out to the meetings or out in the parking lot,
different things like that over the phone, try to do
on your break so that if not doing work hours
and we try to explain to them that we need
a voice. We need to be able to have a
feat at the table to bargain so that we're treated
(15:56):
fairly and some of the stuff that we're getting as
or it's the unfair pay, the benefits, not having profit sharing,
different things like that, we'll be able to actually bargain
for those items.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
What are some of the things that you all are
asking for, Like what is on your list of I
would say demands or requests.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Better pay, better benefits, better retirement, profit sharing, better work hours,
fair treatment across the board for everyone just to be
treated fairly so everyone's receiving the site treatment.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
And what is the response been from Mercedes?
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Like I said, they're showing negative videos just about every
week now. They're sending messages to our phones. We have
something called the MBUSI Insider app where they're supposed to
post information daily. They're flooding us with it, all kinds
of negative stuff about if we get a union, we
won't be a family anymore. If we bring in a union,
(17:02):
it's gonna change everything, the rules will be different. Just
the negativity. Everything that they say is negative towards the union,
and they're actually supposed to be neutral, but it's.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
Far from that. How many people are in your plant?
What's the size of your plant?
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Well, they're saying that we have five thousand eligible people
that's able to vote for the union against or four
five thousand okay, five thousand okay, man, how many volunteers
like yourself are there? And like, what is what does
your efforts look like so that you can reach all
of those people? Because you can't I'm assuming you don't
(17:44):
have an app, right, so you can't do what the
company is doing to just reach people via text on
their phone. So how do you reach that many people?
In the beginning, we just went from phone to phone,
just calling people, talking to people, communicating. But we've gotten
some help from the UAW and so now we do
(18:06):
have apps that we're able to do maths connections with.
So that's helping out tremendously.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
And what are some of the fears that when you
get on the phone with your fellow employees. What are
some of the things that they say to you about
what they've heard or the reason why they could be
thinking about voting against unionizing. They're afraid that they're gonna
shut the plant down and move to a different play
because that's what's being said that if we unionize, they're
(18:36):
going to shut it down and move. They say stuff like,
you know, we can't afford to go on a strike,
So what are we going to do to prevent that,
or what can we do to prevent that? They're worried
about things like that. Are there other plans with Mercedes
that are unionized or would this be one of the
(18:59):
first ones in the US.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
The Germany plant is unionized and then Diaimler trucks just
became unionized. But we'll be the first here.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
You'll be the first here. So they're not this is
not new to them right like they so they have unions.
They're just trying to hold out because you all are
one of the last.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Well, we give them what it's called the Alabama discount,
where they get the labor for free pretty much or
basically almost free anyway, because they're not paying us what
we deserve to be paid.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Do you know what the comparison is between the plants
like the one in Germany? I know it's different because
we have dollars, but are their plants like Do you
understand how different or better they are operating?
Speaker 2 (19:49):
From my understanding, their work hours are totally different. We
work twelve hours a day. They work eight hours a day.
We work weekends and saturdays for straight pay. They don't
work in any weekend. They have time with their families,
and we struggle with that because our hours are so long.
And so the difference is the hours and their wages
(20:09):
they make. As far as I know, no one has
actually given me an actual amount, but I'm being told
that they make more than we do on work less hours.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
So they have weekends off, yes, ma'am, they work less hours,
yes ma'am, and they get paid more, yes, ma'am. That
is incredible. So let me ask you this. When you
work a twelve hour shift, which is half a day,
(20:39):
how many breaks do you get?
Speaker 2 (20:42):
We get a two ten minute breaks, and then we
get a thirty five minute lunch break, and at the
end of the day you get I think it's like
a five minute break that you get right before time
to go home. If I'm not mistaken. I don't hardly
(21:03):
ever get to take them in my department because I'm
always doing something during that time. But I think it's
too ten minute breaks. No, let me kind say it's
a ten minute break in the morning because they just
changed the schedule. Actually ten minute break in the morning,
a thirty five minute lunch break, and then you get
(21:23):
two fifteen minute breaks at the latter part.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Of the day during twelve whole hours. Yes, ma'am, that's
not a lot of time.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
No, ma'am, it's not.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
It's not so really. It really just I'm like, in
my head, I'm trying to do the math, and I'm
saying I would assume too, that a majority of your
job is on your feet, right like that you're standing
up during that time, yes, ma'am, on a line, My goodness.
So if this vote happens and between May thirteenth and
(21:58):
May seventeenth, how quickly would things change if it is
a yes vote for a union.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
I'm hoping that it will change immediately. I'm hoping Mercedes
won't drag anything out that once we start to bargain
and come up with the contract, hopefully we can go
ahead and come to an agreement and get everything settled
so it won't be, you know, a long drug drug
out process.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
And if it fails, okay, what does that mean.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
If not gonna fail, we're gonna win. There's no room
for fail. And we've worked too hard for this, put
in too much time, too much effort. We're gonna win.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
How long have you all been organizing for You've been
at this plant for twenty three years. How long has
this organizing process been in the works for.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
This particular time. We started back in November, but we've
tried different times before and it just never got off.
We couldn't get enough people. It just never made it
this far. And this particular campaign, people are just tired.
They're tired of the hours, they're tired of the treatment.
(23:13):
So it was easy as far as actually getting once
we talk to people, it was easy getting them to,
you know, say yes they were willing to vote or
help or just whatever we.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Needed, because I would say right that the worst that
could happen is that nothing changes, meaning that you're still
working long hours, still working weekends, and still have the
same pay. So if you're talking to people joining a union,
you're saying things could only go up from here, They
(23:47):
can only get better.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Right.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
My last question for u K is you know, what
do you want people to understand about your type of
work that may not be in you know, may not
understand when when they see, oh, this company is trying
to unionize, or this company is trying to unionize in
a headline, but they don't really understand what that means.
(24:17):
What do you want people to understand and know about
unions and their importance, particularly in the type of work
that you do.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
So, as the auto auto maker or a worker, we
work hard and the days are long. We take pride
in what we do, so we feel like we should
be compensated for those things. And with the union, you
can receive the treatment that you're supposed to receive. You
(24:49):
have the voice, the apps for things, whereas right now
we have something called open door policy, but it's no
such thing, because you can't go and talk to the
president or talk to the vice president if you need something.
That's not how it works. It's said that's how it works,
but it's not. With the union, it can happen because
(25:10):
we can have a feat at the table to ask
for certain things and to bargain for certain things. So
the union would help transform the situation that we're in
right now to just make it better. I don't think it. Well,
it can get worse because Mercedes good. Yeah, it could
get worse, But with the union, I just think it's
(25:33):
just gonna be better for us all around, and not
just for one individual. It will be better for all
of us as a whole.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Well, okay, I wish you luck. I hope that everything
goes the way that you will want it to. That
people have recognized the unions are important and they are helpful,
and they are necessary in order to protect workers like
you from being exploited from major companies. So thank you
(26:00):
so much for taking the time to speak with me
today on wok F. Really appreciate you and wish you love.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Thank you so much. You have a great day.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
That is it for me today, Dear friends on wok
f as always power to the people and to all
the people. Power. Get woke and stay woke as fuck.
Host
Danielle Moodie
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