I got an e-mail about the Today show this morning. I read it in disbelief. Matt Lauer actually lies on camera and then asks a Wal-Mart exec to clarify his already egregiously wrong talking point, really? No way, can't be real. Must be a fake video. Then I went over to the House Education and Labor Committee Blog, and nope, it's not a fake. From the blog:

Earlier this morning, Matt Lauer, co-host of the Today Show, interviewed Mike Duke, the new CEO of Wal-Mart, and they talked about the Employee Free Choice Act. Unfortunately, Mr. Lauer led his question with a mischaracterization of the Employee Free Choice Act.

Mischaracterization? Unless Matt Lauer is an idiot, it's being too kind to Lauer to use such tame wording, call it what it is, a lie. Or, Matt Lauer is an idiot. I have a hard time believing that anyone gets to where he is if he's an idiot. Of course, maybe he's just lazy. Here's the video (thanks to Media Matters for the embed code!:



Here's what the House Committee had to say about the piece on their blog:

Asking the CEO of Wal-Mart about the Employee Free Choice Act is like asking the fox about the hen house. To read Human Rights Watch's 2007 report on "Wal-Mart's Violation of US Workers’ Right to Freedom of Association" please click here. (pdf)

BTW, one other thought, Lauer, using an average hourly means that you also include the top salaries. That's what Wal-Mart does. They make numbers lie for them. Just like the anti-UAW worker numbers you kept repeating in December about the average hourly wage of an autoworker. Didn't matter to you or the rest of the Traditional media that the number was wrong, but hey, whatever. I suppose, I just shouldn't expect anything else from the likes of Lauer.

PST, Lauer, this fact sheet on the Myths and Facts of Employee Free Choice.

MYTH: The Employee Free Choice Act abolishes the "secret ballot" election.

FACT: The Employee Free Choice Act does not abolish the secret ballot eleciton process. That process, also known as a National Labor Relations Board election would still be available under the Employee Free Choice Act. The bill simply enables workers to also form a union through majority sign-up if a majority prefers that method to the NLRB election process. Under current law, workers may only use the majority sign-up process if their employer agrees. The Employee Free Choice Act allows workers, not corporate executives, to make that decision.

See, Matt, it really wasn't that hard to find the truth. And I didn't have to sit through an interview with a greedy slimy bastard to find it. Perhaps next time, you can learn from me, and google it first. I know, probably just a little too much work for you, but if I don't ask you to do it, I can't actually expect you to do it. Well, you've been asked, and now, I expect it.

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Kongsberg officials said the decisions were a result of the "global automotive market collapse" that has resulted in a steep drop in demand for automotive components especially in North America.

Kongsberg officials have said a lot, most of it is a bunch of hogswallow.

The Businessweek piece goes on to say:

Kongsberg said its Van Wert, Ohio facility will close sometime in the summer and its production will be transferred to the company's Nuevo Laredo, Mexico facility, eliminating about 105 jobs.

The company said it also plans to move its Haysville, Kan. facility's production to its facility in Matamoros, Mexico. The Haysville facility will also close sometime in the summer, affecting about 100 jobs, Kongsberg said.

Not a problem. When Kongsberg decideds that Mexico is too expensive, they'll move to Poland, Haiti, India, maybe back to the US, you know where ever the taxes are cheap and the workers are so desperate they'd crawl all over themselves to get the jobs. Cause in the end, they're really just greedy bastards.

And why do I call them greedy bastards, well, because while they talk about the poor auto market from one side of their mouth, they accept a huge German contract out of the other side.

Kongsberg Automotive has booked an order valued at MEUR 18 (MNOK 151). The new business includes delivery of Seat Heat to the European market. The contract term is 7 years with production start in 2010.

The seat heaters will be manufactured at Kongsberg Automotive's plant in Pruszkow, Poland.

The customer is a German automaker and one of the world's premier manufacturers of passenger cars.

Ah, yes, Poland. This is the operation begun by closures of Amotfors, Sweden. But don't take my word for it, here's what Kongsberg had to say:

Kongsberg, 8 December 2008.

Kongsberg Automotive (KA) has booked an order valued at MEUR 4,3 (40
MNOK). The new business includes delivery of Seat Heat to the Russian
market, where a German automaker is preparing the launch of a small
sized car.

"The customer is one of Europe's leading carmakers and this contract
represents a door-opener to the emerging Russian automotive market",
says Hans Peter Havdal, President of Automotive Systems at KA.
"Further, this contract is the first ever to this particular
carmaker, and we expect new business opportunities to follow as a
result of this award", he concludes.


###

Kongsberg Automotive is headquartered in Kongsberg, Norway and has
more than 50 facilities in 20 countries on all continents. Kongsberg
Automotive, with revenues of about EUR1 billion and over 9.500
employees, provides system solutions to vehicle makers around the
world. The product portfolio includes gearshift systems, cables for a
wide variety of applications, fuel lines, tubing and hoses,
couplings, clutch actuation, stabilizing rods, seat heaters, seat
ventilation, lumbar supports, head restrains, arm rests, steering
columns, pedals, electronics and displays. Find more information at
www.kongsbergautomotive.com.

Yeah, right, market is down, so we have to close Van Wert (despite an illegal lockout) and we will have to close operations in Kanasas (another 100 jobs) because we have to move those operations into Mexico. It's just business, after all. Just business. Greedy fucking bastards.

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I know this is coming as a SHOCK to everyone here, but Kongsberg has decide to CLOSE another plant. This one is in Sweden, again. Wonder if they’re moving those operations to the new Polish plant or somewhere with even fewer environmental laws and lower taxes. But hey, don’t take my word for it, take a read of ABN:

Kongsberg, Norway, April 23, 2008 - Kongsberg Power Products Systems AS, which is a subsidiary of Kongsberg Automotive Holding ASA, has declared it is considering proposals regarding closing the factory in Märsta, Sweden and intends commencing negotiations with the Unions. The factory in Marsta has 54 employees, and the workforce will be informed at meetings today. The facility today produces heavy duty cables, pedals, hand controls, hydraulic valves and electrical components to the Commercial Vehicle and off-highway vehicle market. The potential closure of the factory may lead to a transfer of production in Märsta to existing Kongsberg Automotive locations within Europe. Kongsberg Power Products Systems AB will continue to service its customers through its operations in Ljungsarp, Sweden. The potential closure is due to the company's need for realizing cost savings in order to improve overall competitiveness. "To Kongsberg Automotive, it is decisive that we find ways to optimize our production in order to stay competitive in an ever increasingly competitive global market. The potential transfer of business from Märsta will better align us to market needs and restore profitability for the Division to an acceptable level", says President for Power Products Systems, Jim Ryan.

I want you to take a look at the emphasized text. I bolded it for one reason, this is the theme for Kongsberg.

Closure of plants despite profitability in hopes for greater profitability down the road. Basically, it’s Greed for Greed sake.

So, I look to the locked out workers in Van Wert and I have to say, I’m not sure why I’d ever take a reduction in income to work for a company that treats it’s works like they’re disposable.

The profitability of any company is based on the production and frequently also the quality of work that is done on that company’s behalf. Well, all except Wal-Mart who seems to think they can do anything without recourse, but I digress.

Kongsberg Automotive seems to be of the mind that being profitable isn’t enough, they must better align to market needs so as to bring each Division up to their acceptable level for profitability. I wonder what that level is? And why it is that the people who helped to make the company profitable in the first place are the people reduced to nothing in the hunt for greater profits down the road, somewhere else.

Kongsberg Automotive seems hell bent on adding to their history of greed.

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