Movie star steps in to fight for Nissan workers in America
CAR MAKER’S UNION RIGHTS ROW
NISSAN bosses beware – Lethal Weapon star Danny Glover has proved he isn’t “too old for this sh**” when it comes to fighting for union rights.
Glover starred as tough cop Roger Murtagh alongside Mel Gibson in the Hollywood blockbuster movie series in which he used to complain frequently about his age on the job in no uncertain terms.
He has now paired up with US Senator Bernie Sanders as they prepare to lobby the French government for help in the heated attempt to unionise the Nissan car plant in Canton, Mississippi.
Unlike at the company’s plant in Wearside, staff have no union representation. Last month, the United Auto Workers (UAW) in the US suffered a historic defeat when workers there voted not to unionise.
In the run-up to the vote, Nissan managers held one-on-one sessions with workers at the plant to discourage them, while the company reportedly blitzed local media with anti-union ads. According to Mr Sanders, there was even talk of closing the plant if the vote went the union’s way.
Nissan has previously denied breaking any laws. Rodney Francis, the plant’s human resources director, said in an interview that the company has a right to make its case to workers that unionisation would hurt management flexibility and make the plant less competitive economically.
Glover is a longtime activist and supporter of the UAW and its fight to unionise in the US south. He and Sanders intend to lobby the French president, Emmanuel Macron, to push for a second vote.
Nissan and France’s Renault share a deep alliance, with each company owning shares in the other and sharing a chief executive officer, Carlos Ghosn. The French government owns close to a 20% stake in Renault.
In an interview, Glover said: “He (Macron) would protect the rights of workers in France with respect to Nissan.
“He would protect the rights for those workers, so why wouldn’t he protect the rights of workers in the United States, as well as particularly in the south?”
Nissan operates 45 auto plants around the globe, including in Sunderland. The only ones without union representation are in the southern US.
After the vote in the US, Nissan spokesperson Parul Baraj said in a statement. “With this vote, the voice of Nissan employees has been heard.
“Our expectation is that the (United Automobile Workers) will respect and abide by their decision and cease their efforts to divide our Nissan family.”
Nissan workers around the world, including Sunderland, left, enjoy union recognition, with the exception of two plants in the US. Now actor Danny Glover, right, is calling on French president Macron to help with the battle