UAW Local 42, formed after the first campaign that ended in failure, claims it is on track to list the majority of VW’s Chattanooga workers on its membership tally in the near future, according to Reuters.
The UAW has not disclosed a specific number of workers that must be added to its ranks before receiving official VW recognition as the de facto union at the factory, though the group claims it now has enough support to have won the initial vote. Some employees did not vote in the first poll, suggesting the Local 42 could need close to 100 additional members to establish a clear majority of the approximately 1,500-strong workforce.
The UAW earlier this year backed down from its legal battle over the initial results, choosing instead to quietly build majority support via a local charter. The approach was also viewed as a way to get the fight out of the headlines, where it threatened to derail an incentive package from the Republican-majority Tennessee government.
Recent reports suggest state officials have approved a $300 million aid package, securing VW’s commitment to produce its new midsize SUV in Chattanooga rather than Mexico.
VW has expressed a desire to implement a German-style works council in Chattanooga, however US labor laws prohibit the automaker from establishing such a structure with a company union rather than through a partnership with an independent union.
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