The groups include VW’s own global works council and IG Metall (Industrial Union of Metalworkers), the largest independent metalworkers union in Germany. Both represent blue- and white-collar workers.
In a four-page letter of intent signed by officials from all three organizations, the partnership seeks to “obtain exclusive majority status and recognition of this by Volkswagen,” according to excerpts published by Reuters.
The strategy has been interpreted as a possible response to a move by anti-union groups, which recently announced plans to form their own union to prevent the UAW from gaining a majority at the plant.
UAW secretary-treasurer Gary Casteel claims his organization already has received signed support from a majority of the plant’s 1,500-strong workforce, however he declined to disclose an exact number.
The UAW has faced difficulty organizing the plant, amid sustained pressure from anti-union lobbyists. VW has voiced support for a German-style works council, but US law prohibits the company from establishing such a model without an independent union.
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