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UAW Battling For Exclusive Representation Rights At VW Chattanooga

The United Auto Workers union still finds itself in the midst of a difficult battle at Volkswagen’s assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, fighting the American Council of Employees for exclusive bargaining rights at the facility.

The Detroit Free Press reports that UAW Local 42, the chapter created to represent workers at the VW Chattanooga plant, is still pushing to form a works council at the factory, modeled by a cooperative effort between the UAW and Volkswagen. According to American law, such a works council can only be formed once one union has attained exclusive bargaining privileges, but VW Chattanooga has a “Community Organization Engagement” policy, allowing workers to be members of more than one group.

UAW Local 42 reported to the US Department of Labor last month that it has attained support from a majority of VW Chattanooga hourly workers – about 55 percent, or 816 members. The Free Press was unable to reach the ACE to obtain a figure regarding their level of presence at the plant, but Volkswagen is continuing to meet with both competing unions for the time being.

So, while the automaker hasn’t explicitly denied the UAW exclusive bargaining rights, it will be some time yet before the UAW – and the workers at VW Chattanooga – have a definitive answer.

Aaron Birch is an automotive enthusiast and writer/filmmaker from Detroit, MI. As a rule, he only buys cars older than himself.

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