An aide claims that Obama told a group of House Democrats at a closed meeting that the UAW has received strong support to represent VW workers, except for local politicians who are “more concerned about German shareholders than American workers,” according to a Reuters report.
The UAW’s unionization campaign has been met with strong opposition from conservative groups and Republican legislators, though Democrats have remained relatively quiet.
The anti-union campaign includes more than a dozen billboards, radio messages and statements from politicians. Senator Bob Corker earlier this week claimed to know for certain that VW would choose the Chattanooga plant over a Mexican facility to build a new line of SUVs if the workers voted against UAW representation, a claim that has been rejected by the company, while other politicians have threatened to kill tax incentives over the move.
Billboards place blame on the UAW for Detroit’s bankruptcy and tie the union’s political contributions to liberal issues such as gun control. Conservative groups argue that stronger union presence in Tennessee will make the state less competitive, pushing jobs to Mexico or other markets.
The UAW’s ranks have fallen significantly since peaking in the late ’70s, and a pro-union vote at a foreign-owned plant in the traditionally anti-union south is viewed as a potential catalyst for further expansion.
VW has remained neutral, though it has already outlined an agreement to establish a German-style works council to handle many union functions, aside from wages and benefits, if workers vote for union representation.
Voting began on Wednesday and is expected to be completed late this evening.
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