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New Volkswagen Union Already Filing Charges Against Automaker

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The United Auto Workers (UAW) filed a federal complaint Monday against Volkswagen for refusing to bargain less than a month after it organized a subgroup of workers at the Chattanooga, Tenn., plant.

Local 42 of the union organized the subgroup of 164 skilled workers Dec. 4 despite resistance from the automaker. While Volkswagen was generally open to the idea of a unionized workforce, it didn’t like the tactics the union was using. UAW Secretary-Treasurer argued the company should respect the overwhelming union support among the subgroup of workers.

“By refusing to engage in collective bargaining after a successful election, Volkswagen is not only doing a disservice to its employees but now is thumbing its nose at the federal government as well,” Casteel told The Associated Press.

The UAW has sought to unionize the plant for over a year. After failing to win a majority vote, the union began focusing on what workers it could get to join. It setup Local 42 as a volunteer union before eventually focusing on the subgroup of skilled workers. The company, however, opposed the attempt to organize the subgroup of workers arguing it doesn’t want employees split between union and nonunion.

Volkswagen has instead advocates for a full vote of the more than 1,400 maintenance and production employees at the plant. Previous attempts by the union to organize the entire plant, though, have been unsuccessful. The National Labor Relations Board ruled Nov. 18 that the union could hold an election after the company rejected the idea.

The American Council of Employees (ACE) also expressed concern not long after the vote over how the union was trying to organize plant workers. The group has positioned itself as an alternative to the UAW. Like the company, ACE opposes the idea of organizing subgroups of workers within the plant. It also questions the timing of the push.

At the moment Volkswagen is dealing with an international scandal involving how it tests emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency alleges the company intentionally programmed car engines to not properly detect emissions. About a month after the EPA complaint, the union filed paperwork with the NLRB seeking a union election.

Volkswagen and Local 42 did not respond to requests for comment by The Daily Caller News Foundation.

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