VW, UAW Consider Options Surrounding Chattanooga Plant

After backing out from its appeal over results of the February 2014 organization election at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga, Tenn. plant, the United Auto Workers is considering options to organize the plant, just as Volkswagen itself is considering several options outside of Tennessee for its new SUV.

The Detroit News reports VW attorney Alex Leath sent an email in late January 2014 to Tennessee’s Department of Economic and Community Development during negotiations over incentives to build the SUV in Tennessee that, while there were “non-deal” issues delaying “the TN solution,” the automaker had been successful in “reaching agreement on terms” at a number of unidentified locations. Leath also had been drafting a memorandum of understanding which included proposed incentive figures from several months prior. Amid opposition toward the UAW establishing a presence in the plant by Republican politicians and affiliated outside parties, and in response to the memorandum, the agency withdrew the $300 million in incentives it planned to offer VW in exchange for for the seven-passenger SUV.

Moving ahead to this week, UAW president Bob King stated the biggest factor in backing down on its appeal before the National Labor Relations Board was to help VW and the workers in Chattanooga land the deal for the SUV. In the meantime, the union is considering options to bring organized labor to the plant, including a private vote to be held sometime this year. King added that the UAW still had representatives working with the workers on the floor in Chattanooga, vowing the union would continue to push for representation.

As for the deal that had been cast aside, Tennessee governor Bill Haslam hopes to quickly reestablish talks between the state and VW for the SUV, though Mexico has made an offer to bring the product into one of its factories.