Detroit Free Press: Marick Masters on Volvo UAW vote
UAW-represented workers at a Volvo truck plant in southwestern Virginia on Friday rejected a third try at ratifying a collective bargaining agreement, a move signaling divisions not just between the company and its workers but also between union leaders who supported the deal and their members. The immediate impact of the vote means a strike that began in early June - the second strike during the negotiations - will continue at Volvo's largest truck manufacturing facility. Marick Masters, a Wayne State University business professor who specializes in labor issues, has said the failure to pass multiple tentative agreements is noteworthy because it signals a disconnect between the union leadership and the members. He also noted the residue of skepticism from the years-long corruption scandal that led to 15 convictions of former UAW officials, including two ex-presidents, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles executives, including the company's one-time lead labor negotiator. Several plant workers have said the corruption scandal is regularly discussed among the rank and file.