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Feds Reaffirms Union Election In Major Blow To Volkswagen

REUTERS/Mark Blinch

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Federal labor officials denied a request by Volkswagen Wednesday to review a successful union election last year which targeted a small group of skilled workers.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 42 organized the subgroup of 164 skilled workers Dec. 4 at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. The company originally was open to the idea of having a unionized workforce but rejected workers being split between union and nonunion. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rejected a request to review the election.

“[Request] is denied as it raises no substantial issues warranting review,” NLRB said in its decision. “The Employer failed to meet its burden of demonstrating that the additional employees it seeks to include share an ‘overwhelming community of interest’ with the petitioned-for unit.”

The company deplored the tactics the union was using. The UAW has sought to unionize the plant for over a year but after failing to win a majority vote, the union began focusing on what workers it could get to join instead of the entire plant. The Volkswagen emissions scandal also gave the union significant leverage to pressure the company.

“With today’s order, the NLRB has clearly stated that it views the skilled-trades election in Chattanooga as a legal and appropriate step toward meaningful employee representation,” UAW Secretary-Treasurer Gary Casteel said in a statement to the Chattanooga Times Free Press‎. “We call on Volkswagen to immediately move forward with UAW Local 42, in the German spirit of co-determination.”

Volkswagen has instead advocated 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 have been unsuccessful. NLRB ruled Nov. 18 that the union can hold an election after the company rejected the idea.

Local 42 was originally setup as a volunteer union before eventually focusing on the subgroup of skilled workers. The American Council of Employees (ACE) also expressed concern not long after the vote over how the union was trying to organize plant workers. ACE opposes the idea of organizing subgroups of workers within the plant. It also questions the timing of the push.

Volkswagen has also had to deal with an international scandal involving how it tests emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency alleged 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 the union election.

Volkswagen told The Daily Caller News Foundation it is reviewing the decision. Local 42 did not respond to requests for comment by TheDCNF.

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