Chapter 706: Who Is the Toughest Person?

Li Weidong and Norwood Jewell parted ways unhappily, and he was most likely going to organize a strike.

Norwood Jewell had been a union cadre for decades and had dealt with all the auto companies that built factories in the United States, but this was the first time he had seen an employer like Li Weidong who was unwilling to even talk.

Under normal circumstances, in such negotiations, the union would first put forward a condition, and then the company would also put forward a condition based on the union's conditions, and then the two sides would argue for a while and finally reach a consensus.

The company would increase some benefits, and the union would no longer make trouble, and then the two sides would calm down for a while, waiting for the next union to make trouble, and then repeat the previous operation.

This is how the wages of American auto workers have risen. The average salary of American auto workers is about more than twice the average salary of Americans and 1.5 times the median income in the United States.

Many people may think that it is normal for front-line workers to earn twice the average income. But considering the income level in the United States, this high income is obviously unreasonable.

Because the higher the salary, the higher the labor cost. When the labor cost becomes higher, the threshold for the demand for labor by the company will be higher, which will in turn make the salary average. This is a proven phenomenon in the field of human resource management.

For example, if you hire a nanny with a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan, the requirements will definitely not be very high, but if you hire a nanny with a monthly salary of 30,000 yuan, at least you have to be from 985211!

The same is true for applicants. If the Environmental Sanitation Bureau recruits public toilet managers, if they are officially employed, a group of masters will sign up because the salary is good and it is a stable job.

In developed countries like Northern Europe, the salary is relatively high, and the salary gap between different industries is not large. Although the salary of a university professor is still higher than that of a workshop worker, the gap is not several times. Similarly, people there are generally well educated, and it is common for one person to have several master's degrees.

However, if you seek an industry with very high salaries, and the requirements for professional skills in this industry are not so harsh, this is unreasonable.

This is what American auto workers are like. Workers should not think that the high salary of American auto workers is a good thing. The increase in the salary of auto workers is behind the decline of the American auto industry. Due to the high labor costs, car companies that originally set up factories in the United States have moved their companies to Mexico and other countries.

When the company leaves, the workers lose their jobs. At the same time, the corresponding supply chain of the automobile industry also moves, and then the workers in the supply chain will lose their jobs, and "auto cities" like Detroit will go bankrupt.

The key to wages in the manufacturing industry is not high or low, but reasonable. If the wages of workers are too high, it will hurt the entire industry, and if the wages of workers are too low, it will hurt the workers. Only when the wages are at a reasonable level can there be a win-win situation.

…

Ford Company, the signing ceremony for the transaction of Jaguar Land Rover is about to begin.

Li Weidong and Bill Ford, the two main parties, sat together, waiting for the lawyer to bring the transaction contract.

"Mr. Li, I heard that you did not reach an agreement with the union?" Bill Ford asked.

"The union asked too much, and I can't agree to their conditions." Li Weidong said indifferently.

"If there are differences between us, we can talk! As I said before, you make a concession, I make a concession, and we can definitely reach a result that both sides can accept." Bill Ford said, showing a worried expression, and then said: "Mr. Li, forgive me for being frank, if you can't reach an agreement with the union, the union will definitely use some means next." "I know, it's nothing more than a strike!" Li Weidong said with a relaxed look. "A strike will cause the factory to stop production, and the employer will suffer the loss in the end." Bill Ford said. "It doesn't matter, I just need to fire a group of strikers, and the other workers will be scared and will naturally obey. I don't believe they will give up their jobs!" Li Weidong showed a resolute expression. Bill Ford's eyes revealed a trace of sarcasm, and he continued: "Mr. Li, your method may be useful in China, but this is the United States after all. The United States has its own rules. If you deviate from the rules of the United States, you may find it difficult to succeed."

"Thank you for your reminder, Mr. Ford." Li Weidong thanked him perfunctorily, then pointed to the lawyer who was walking towards this side and said: "Mr. Ford, the contract has just been brought, and we can start signing."

"Good words are hard to persuade the damn ghost! Since you don't follow the rules and have to go against the union, you deserve to suffer heavy losses. Jaguar Land Rover went bankrupt in your hands, and we Ford have one less competitor!"

Bill Ford thought of this, with a fake smile on his face, and then made a "please" gesture, but he was thinking in his heart that he would see Li Weidong's joke in a few days.

...

Under the flashing of spotlights, the two parties completed the signing, followed by an intermittent press conference.

For this signing ceremony, Ford specially invited many reporters to attend.

Ford suffered losses of billions last year, and Jaguar Land Rover was the biggest loser among them. If Ford can get rid of Jaguar Land Rover, it will not only be able to recover 1.5 billion US dollars in funds, but also reduce this year's losses, which is definitely good for Ford's stock price.

That's why Ford invited a large number of reporters, hoping to take this opportunity to publicize the company, increase its stock price, and explain to shareholders.

The assistant quietly came to Bill Ford's ear and said, "Mr. President, everything has been arranged. All the reporters we invited are here."

"Very good." Bill Ford smiled and nodded, and then said: "Let the public relations department treat those reporters well."

"President, there's one more thing. I saw Norwood Jewell from the Auto Workers Union is here too," the assistant said.

"Don't be nervous, he is here for the Chinese." Bill Ford said with some gloating: "Anyway, we have sold Jaguar Land Rover. Now the workers of Jaguar Land Rover have nothing to do with us. We will just wait and see." It’s lively.”

…

Bill Ford was the first to be interviewed, and he was seen talking in front of the camera, looking like a general.

The reporters were all invited by Ford, and Ford's public relations department had already communicated with the reporters. Therefore, the reporters' questions about Bill Ford were all discussed before they were realized, and Bill Ford was naturally able to answer them with ease.

Afterwards, it was Li Weidong's turn to be interviewed. Since American reporters were not familiar with Li Weidong, the reporter was not very interested in him. He only asked a few scene-based questions at the beginning, such as the development prospects of Jaguar Land Rover. Are there any plans or something like that?

Finally, a reporter asked, "Mr. Li, it is said that the labor union is opposed to this acquisition. Is it true?"

"Everyone can express their opinions. This is their freedom, isn't it?" Li Weidong smiled slightly and continued: "But the labor union does not have equity in Jaguar Land Rover, nor has it signed an agreement with Ford to refuse the acquisition. , so the opposition of the trade union organization is invalid and will not affect the legality of this acquisition.”

"Mr. Li, it is said that labor unions will use practical actions to prevent this acquisition, such as protests, marches or strikes. What do you think of this, or how do you plan to respond?" the reporter asked again.

Li Weidong thought for a while and said: "For this hypothetical question, I can only say that the decisions I make will comply with American laws."

"Mr. Li, are you worried about the workers at the Jaguar Land Rover factory going on strike?" the reporter looked like he was asking for help.

"I'm not worried about this. I'm full of confidence in the future of Jaguar Land Rover." Li Weidong said without hesitation. Even if he was very worried at this time, he could only slap the fat man in the face.

When the issue of a strike came up, the surrounding reporters immediately became interested. Compared with the US$1.5 billion acquisition, the workers' strike was more topical and popular.

The reporters who were originally less interested raised their cameras and pointed them at Li Weidong, or took out their voice recorders.

At this moment, a figure walked through the crowd and walked in front of them. This person was Norwood Jewell.

"Everyone, my name is Norwood-Jewell, and I am a representative of the United Auto Workers!" Norwood-Jewell introduced himself, immediately attracting the attention of reporters.

After Norwood-Jewell introduced himself, he turned to look at Li Weidong and said: "Mr. Li, on behalf of the 3,875 auto workers at the Bemher factory, I would like to announce to you that from now on, we will carry out unlimited We will continue the strike until you are willing to improve workers’ welfare as we demand.”

Norwood-Jewell said, took out a document, handed it to Li Weidong, and then said: "Mr. Li, this is a written notice."

When this scene happened, the reporters at the scene immediately became excited. Everyone thought this was just an ordinary press conference, but they didn't expect such a big melon!

The employer had just completed the acquisition, and the company had been cool for only three seconds before the union jumped out and wanted to go on strike. Such a big drama has been rare in decades.

Moreover, a reporter just asked Li Weidong about the strike organized by the trade union, and Li Weidong just replied "don't worry", but the strike came. This slap in the face came too quickly.

People's eyes focused on Li Weidong's face. They really wanted to see the Chinese people's embarrassed or panic expressions, but Li Weidong still looked calm.

Li Weidong took the written notice, glanced down for a few times, and then asked: "Mr. Norwood-Jewell, are you sure you can represent the 3,875 auto workers at the Bemher factory?"

"The 3,875 workers at the Bemher plant are represented by the United Auto Workers, and I am a representative of the United Auto Workers. So it can also be said that I am the representative of the 3,875 workers at the Bemher plant!" Norwood-Jay Will spoke very carefully.

Li Weidong nodded and continued: "In that case, I also have something to inform you, and I hope you can convey it to the workers. In view of the fact that the workers' strike will cause the factory to be unable to continue operating, thus causing losses to the company, and in order to reduce losses, so I have decided that the Bemher factory will lay off 5% of its employees in the next week to reduce the company’s operating costs and reduce losses.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole audience was in an uproar!

When automobile companies face general strikes, they have always chosen to negotiate with labor unions and then make compromises to resolve the strike issue.

This is not only true for corporate industries, but also for other industries with unions in the United States. Even civil servants in the U.S. government will use strikes to negotiate with the government.

However, Li Weidong did the opposite. Not only did he not express his willingness to negotiate, he also resorted to layoffs!

In the past few decades, there have been countless strikes across the United States, but nothing like this has ever happened. This is completely beyond the normal understanding of Americans. In an instant, all the spotlights were focused on Li Weidong and flashed, almost blinding him. Li Weidong’s alloy dog ​​eyes.

Li Weidong blinked, barely adapted to the flash, and then continued: "This 5% layoff will prioritize employees who do not comply with factory labor disciplines, such as those who are absent from work, and will be included in the priority list for layoffs! Related A written notice will be sent to you later.”

A strike organized by a trade union is obviously an act of absenteeism. Li Weidong's statement means that I will copy anyone who dares to strike!

After hearing this, Norwood Jewell's originally complacent expression suddenly turned gloomy.

Norwood-Jewell's original plan was to slap Li Weidong hard in the face by announcing the strike in front of so many reporters, so that he could get more benefits in future negotiations.

Unexpectedly, instead of giving in, Li Weidong chose Zhengman Hard Steel and directly resorted to layoffs. This move that was beyond Norwood-Jewell's expectations also caused him to be in chaos.

"Under normal circumstances, shouldn't you give in immediately and express your willingness to negotiate? Why are you still arguing with me!" Norwood-Jewell was full of confusion.

Not far away, Bill Ford also gave a slight chuckle, and then a sarcastic smile appeared on his face.

"This Chinese guy is really stubborn. He doesn't know how powerful the Auto Workers union is! We, the three major American car companies, have a century-old history and have competed with the Auto Workers union countless times, but they have never taken advantage! You are now You’re so stubborn, wait a few days and you’ll cry!”

…

The strike did happen, and Li Weidong's threat of layoffs had no effect.

At that time, Jaguar Land Rover had two main factories. One was the Halifield factory in Liverpool, England, which was also Jaguar's original factory.

The other is the Bemher factory in the United States. It was a factory set up in the United States after Ford acquired Jaguar, and later integrated the Land Rover brand into it.

In the future, Jaguar Land Rover will have a third factory, which is the Changshu factory in China in cooperation with Chery.

Compared with those big car brands, Jaguar does not have many factories, such as General Motors, Ford and other companies. Their factories are located in more than a dozen states across the United States, as well as various overseas factories.

Moreover, the factories of big brands are also larger. Volkswagen’s largest factory has more than 60,000 employees.

Jaguar Land Rover has many fewer factories and is much smaller in scale. This is mainly because Jaguar Land Rover, as a luxury car brand, does not have high sales, so it does not need to build so many factories.

The Bemher plant in the United States has approximately 4,400 employees, 3,875 of whom are front-line auto workers, and they are also on strike this time.

In fact, the main body of every strike must be front-line workers. After all, if a strike occurs in administrative and logistics positions, it will have little impact on the company's production, so it will not be effective.

What developed countries are short of are front-line blue-collar workers, and there is no shortage of office-based, administrative and back-office jobs. There are a lot of them available in the job market. In a business-rich place like the United States, there are plenty of senior managers in the market.

The American Automobile Federation has a century-old history of labor movements, and it is very familiar with leading strikes. It has clear arrangements for what it should do and what it should not do.

After the strike began, the Bemher factory also came to a standstill.

However, on the second day of the strike, a notice was posted at the Bemher factory. A list of thirty people appeared on the notice, which was the first list of people to be laid off.

A closer look revealed that these thirty people were all union cadres at the Bemher factory and the main leaders of the strike.

…

On the street in front of the Bemher factory, striking workers were holding signs. Hanks, the union leader, was one of them and stood at the front.

Suddenly, someone hurried over, approached Hanks, and said: "Hanks, a notice has just been posted in the factory, which is a list of layoffs. There are thirty people in total, and you are among them. Got laid off by the factory!”

"Really?" Hanks had a calm expression. He had already received news from Norwood-Jewell and knew that the new boss planned to lay off 5% of his staff. As the leader of the union, he was among the first to be laid off. It was normal to be laid off, and he had already been mentally prepared.

I saw Hanks standing up, waving to everyone, and then posing as if he was going to give a speech.

"Everyone, please rest assured that although the factory laid off me, our union is still there. The union will continue to fight for everyone's interests, and I, personally, will fight with you to the end as a union member!"

The surrounding crowd immediately burst into warm applause and cheers.

Faced with layoffs, these thirty people did not go to any labor arbitration. First, layoffs are commonplace in American companies. Second, strikes are absenteeism, and companies have legal reasons to lay off employees who are absent from work.

However, these thirty people are not panicking. They all have the backing of the labor union, and they will regard being laid off as a holiday. Anyway, when the union negotiates with the employer in the future, they will be invited back to the factory, and there may be more. Easy post.

In American automobile companies, many union cadres do not work at all. Although they are called front-line automobile workers, their daily job is to pay attention to the welfare of workers. They drink tea and read newspapers to record workers' demands. The day passes. And the company still has to pay them wages, which is equivalent to raising a group of idle wolves who are dedicated to stumbling upon themselves.

This is also a shortcoming accumulated by American companies and labor unions over hundreds of years. In an industry with a long history like automobiles, the situation is particularly serious.

The next day, another layoff list of 30 people was posted, but the workers still did not panic at all.

The layoffs of 30 people will have no impact on the 3,875 workers.

In the next few days, the list of thirty people will be announced every day. For a whole week, even on weekends, a total of 210 people have been laid off, which is already more than 5%.

However, the workers remained indifferent.

The United Auto Workers has a long history, and the workers are all veterans. Many have participated in more than one strike, so everyone knows that based on past experience, management will definitely compromise as long as it persists.

However, the next day, a new announcement appeared. In the next five days, the factory will continue to lay off 5% of its employees, about 200 people!