Ethics memo essay sample

Background of the information

The workers of Volkswagen Chattanooga, Tennessee voted for their choice of whether to join the US Auto Workers Union (AWU) or vote against it. The management for the firm stayed neutral and facilitated their election by providing them the venue that was the premises for the company as well as signing a waiver not to interfere with the elections. The reason for the company taking this step was because it wanted to adhere to the business ethics and stay away from unethical procedures that it noted many companies have been drawn into that in the long run has affected the enterprises negatively both in the long term as well as short term (Crane, Andrew & Matten, 18).
The management also declared to stay away from the decision that workers have made and respect it to the later, as this is among the tenets of democracy that the country has been known for and earned respect internationally. The company management also agreed not to release any information to the public that would influence any direction in the outcome of the election such as promising of increased earnings through manufacture of new cars. Therefore, this memo is directed to the leaders of the Union notifying them of the developments concerning the election.

The three options for actions now

– Appeal to the National Relations Labor Board (NLRB) for permissions to begin forming a worker/ management council even in the absence of union representation for the workers.
– Lobby the state legislature not to enact, and the governor not to sign, punitive legislation, and politicians from the mayor to the US Senators from Tennessee not to interfere with your relationships with your employees. Prepare for another union election in a year.
– Make it clear to the state legislators, the mayor, the governors and US Senators that if they interfere with next years election, Volkswagen will build anther US Plant in a less hostile state and shift work away from the Tennessee plant within Five years.

Choose your proposed option and in one paragraph explain why you make those recommendations

As an action to take after the democratic process that workers have stated, it has to be respected and an alternative has to be found. For the workers to reject the union, it indicates there is a probability that they might not be satisfied with the leadership of the union or they feel that the union do not represent there grievances well not only to the local government but the national government as well. The first option of appealing to the National Relations Labor Board (NLRB) for permissions to begin forming a worker/ management council even in the absence of union representation for the workers will address the long and short term challenges for organizations. The main goal f a union is to look after the welfare of its members in terms of good working conditions, salaries and benefits among other benefits, therefore by having such council, it deal with the interests of the workers since they have a representation in the council and present the workers ideas and opinions. Such a council will replicate the same functions that a union could have done and it can also put unions under check and ensure that they perform their duties and represent the workers freely and fairly in accordance to the law of the land.

Works Cited

Crane, Andrew, and Dirk Matten. Business Ethics: Managing Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability in the Age of Globalization. Oxford [u. a.: Oxford Univ. Press, 2007. Print.