Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam is downplaying the significance of a new policy that the United Auto Workers has characterized as an avenue toward union recognition the Chattanooga Volkswagen factory. Haslam, one of the more vocal Republicans critical of the UAW's efforts to represent workers at the plant, told reporters Tuesday that his administration has been in talks with Volkswagen about the new policy, but declined to give details pending an official announcement.
It was later revealed that the state's $300 million incentive package offered to Volkswagen had contained the caveat that the money was subject to labor talks "being concluded to the satisfaction" of the state. Haslam declined to specify which scenarios would have satisfied the state.
The UAW's case at the Tennessee plant has been bolstered by support from labor representatives who control half the seats on the Wolfsburg, Germany-based automaker's supervisory board. The UAW, its German counterpart IG Metall and the Volkswagen Global Group Works Council in September signed an agreement outlining their joint efforts to gain labor representation at the Chattanooga plant, including the goal of the UAW gaining "exclusive majority status and recognition of this by Volkswagen."
The strong links between the UAW and the powerful labor interests at Volkswagen could make it difficult for rival employee groups they call management-friendly "yellow unions" to gain favor with the company.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/uaw-recognition-tennessee-vw-plant-26826755?singlePage=true
It is good to see the level of cooperation between German labor unions which, by law, have half the seats on VW's board of directors, and the UAW. It is so different for a company like this German one to stay away from 'management-friendly "yellow unions"'.
One wonders if Tennessee's republican establishment will play hardball with VW since the $300 million incentive package the state offered to it was based on "labor talks 'being concluded to the satisfaction of the state'. I doubt that UAW being recognized at VW will be 'satisfactory' to the RW wackos in Nashville.
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for unions in the south.
