Union dispute continues at Volkswagen
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The union drive at the Volkswagen Plant continues to be a hot button issue.
The United Auto Workers (UAW) claimed earlier this week that over 50% of workers at the Volkswagen Plant had signed union authorization cards.
This according to a legal notice by the National Right to Work Foundation brings up some potential concerns.
Workers and activists demonstrating in front of the main Volkswagen entrance over allegations of union busting.
The President of that group Mark Mix, “Under current law, Supreme Court law for that matter, basically the best way to decide whether or not workers want to be in an union is a secret ballot election.”
For the UAW, secret ballot elections in 2014 and 2019 did not go their way.
The National Right to Work Foundation argues in their legal notice that this traditional method to gain representation may not apply due to a case decided by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) last year.
The NLRB said in a case involving a cement company, Cemex, that they wanted to create a new framework for employees to bargain with unions.
In the decision, the board said that if a union recognizes they have a simple majority of employees who have signed an unionization card, a company must either recognize the union or request an election themselves.
Mix said, “Under Cemex, if the NLRB adjudicates or believes that an unfair labor practice charge that’s pending may have basically violated the quote, “laboratory conditions” of an election, they will basically say, “You know what? These unfair labor practices indicate you’re a bad operator and they can impose a bargaining order now even without a proof of majority.”
Mix says data shows that the amount of employer requested union elections has skyrocketed.
He said, “Under Cemex, it’s very clear they don’t want to have secret ballot elections, they want to have card check recognition.”
The UAW did send us a statement from Volkswagen Paint Shop Employee, Shaun Lawler.
Lawler said, “We don’t need a corporate front group like the so-called National Right to Work Foundation telling us what to do. A majority of our coworkers have already signed their union cards and shown that we want to form a union with UAW and win a fair contract that provides a fair wage, good healthcare, work-life balance, and a voice on the job. It’s not up to the Right to Work Foundation or any other company-backed outside group to tell us how we can or cannot fight for a better life for ourselves, for our families, and for Chattanooga.”
Mix does not agree with this sentiment, as they claim workers can revoke their card signups if they wish.
Mix argues, “It’s basically a cartel battle between big business and big labor and the one piece of that equation that’s left out is employees.”
An employee at the Volkswagen Plant and local union representative we spoke to earlier this week told us that he expects a vote here at the plant no later than this summer.
