“It’s sad that when workers exercise their legal right to form a union, some Tennessee politicians are threatening the economic well-being of communities and businesses just because workers want to have a voice in the future of Volkswagen in Chattanooga,” said UAW Region 8 director Gary Casteel, as quoted by the Detroit News.
Anti-union groups and Republican legislators have intensified their efforts to keep the union from expanding in Tennessee. Although the tax-incentive threats appear to be directed at the UAW, State Senator Bo Watson argues that Volkswagen has been secretly colluding with the union, in an “un-American” way, and therefore deserves no further tax breaks for expansion.
“If Volkswagen workers and Volkswagen management can work together on this, why is it that some Tennessee politicians are so eager to derail that process with the help of special interests from outside Tennessee and deny workers the right to participate in decisions that affect their future?” added Casteel.
The anti-union campaign in Chattanooga appears to be receiving significant funding from outside groups, stoking a fear that the state will lose its competitiveness if other foreign-owned plants make the same move. Cognizant of Tennessee’s status as a decidedly red state, most of the messages focus on the UAW’s contributions to Democrats’ political campaigns and Detroit’s blight.
VW has officially maintained a neutral stance, declining to embrace the union without a formal vote, though executives have noted preference for a German-style works union. VW’s Chattanooga CEO, Frank Fischer, credited the model with helping make the company the second-largest automaker in the world.
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