Emotiv fires organizing workers and breaks law says UAW

KANSAS CITY, Kan.—“Emotiv Mobility is breaking federal law by attacking organizing workers,” say union leaders and supporters of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 31 here in Kansas City. Standing together with community members, the Emotiv workers, who are in the midst of their campaign to organize with the UAW, rallied at the Emotiv Mobility site to protest what the union said were multiple attacks on pro-union workers.

“They came for one worker, they came for two, they came for three, they didn’t expect to get all of us brothers and sisters. We are the UAW, and we will have their backs until they have justice,” said Brandon Campbell, UAW Region 4 Director. 

Emotiv Mobility, a company that manufactures parts and supplies for the automotive, aerospace, and defense industries, gathered support for a $150 million investment in a new manufacturing facility, according to Invest Monterrey, yet seemingly not to support its own workers who produce its profits.

Signs saying “Don’t let the bastards grind you down! Union Yes!” as well as “UAW, Stand Up! Saving the American Dream!” were carried by the workers. Last week, they marched on the boss in support of their organizing campaign, as well as their fellow workers facing harassment and discipline for exercising their right to organize a union.

“I’m out here today to support the Emotiv workers. They are fighting for dignity and justice, and trying to become a part of the United Auto Workers,” said Gary Thomas, UAW Local 249. 

The success of their organizing campaign has been so strong that Emotiv management is now retaliating against its key worker leaders, one worker told People’s World. One of the lead organizers, Sharon, received her letter from management on March 6 notifying her that she was fired. Management’s reasoning was that Kansas is a so-called “right-to-work” state and that she was fired simply because she was working under “at-will” employment.

“We know they’re letting that lady go because she was doing God’s work organizing her folks inside that plant,” said one worker at the demonstration. “They need to know there is repercussions for that, they need to have the ramifications for, pardon my language, fucking with unionizing workers, and we can’t have that.”

“What are we gonna do? Well, on one end, Unfair Labor Practice charges have been filed, and on the other end, we need to show them that when you come for one of ours that we’re gonna come for you (in a rally and march),” they said.

“The workers at Emotiv came to the UAW and wanted to start their own union. They want to join UAW local 31, and as a result, Emotiv fired one of the lead organizers, actually multiple lead organizers,” said Dontay Wilson, UAW local 31 President.

“Just for no other reason other than they could. We know what the truth is. The truth is they fired them because they’re organizing, and that’s a federal offense.”

“We all know corporate greed, and this is corporate retaliation pure and simple. It’s illegal, this shit is going to continue as long as we, as workers, allow it, and we are here to say no more!” said Campbell.

Emotiv Mobility, which vouches for its certificates with the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, shows a diversity of workers in race, gender, religion, and background in its media, and touts a 49% minority workers, 56% of minorities in management, and 44% women in management. However, the company is failing in its material support for its own women and minority workers on the shop floor, the union said, and that’s why workers are standing up and organizing.

The major questions now are why would Emotiv use these statistics and media, while also punishing their own women and minority workers for being pro-union? Will this mega-corporation finally respect its workers’ federal right to unionize?

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