Senator says VW will give CUV to Tennessee plant if they reject UAW
07-15-14, 11:41 AM
#31
It will be interesting to see how the UAW representation plays out. As mentioned, the UAW has established a local in Chattanooga that is voluntary. There will be no dues collected until the union is recognized by VW. The first article I saw quoted a UAW rep that they had an agreement with VW that the UAW would be recognized if a majority of the employees signed up with the UAW. VW, however, said there was no agreement.
Now today per the local paper under the headline"Is Volkswagen preparing for a union in Chattanooga?", VW has named named its top global labor official – global works council Chairman Bernd Osterloh – to the board of directors of Volkswagen Group of America. After the VW workers in February defeated a bid by the UAW to unionize the plant, Osterloh vowed to keep the new SUV from Chattanooga unless a German-style works council was established. A Volkswagen spokesman declined to comment on whether Osterloh's appointment means that creation of a works council is imminent.
Now today per the local paper under the headline"Is Volkswagen preparing for a union in Chattanooga?", VW has named named its top global labor official – global works council Chairman Bernd Osterloh – to the board of directors of Volkswagen Group of America. After the VW workers in February defeated a bid by the UAW to unionize the plant, Osterloh vowed to keep the new SUV from Chattanooga unless a German-style works council was established. A Volkswagen spokesman declined to comment on whether Osterloh's appointment means that creation of a works council is imminent.
Last edited by wasjr; 07-15-14 at 12:45 PM.
12-09-14, 11:40 AM
#33
Volkswagen officially grants access to UAW in Tennessee
An audit at the Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga, TN has revealed that at least 45 percent of the facility's workers support unionization, leading the German company to grant access rights to the United Auto Workers.
This is a tremendous step in the UAW's long-running and at times contentious pursuit of the workforce at Chattanooga. With this latest move, "local leadership is ready to move forward with additional conversations with the company," the union said in a statement obtained by The Detroit News.
"As a starting point, UAW Local 42 will take advantage of the company's offer to establish bi-weekly meetings with Volkswagen Human Resources and the Volkswagen Chattanooga Executive Committee."
The News reports that UAW Secretary-Treasurer Gary Casteel, shown above speaking at the Chattanooga plant last summer, claimed these meetings "will remind Human Resources and the Chattanooga Executive Committee of the mutually agreed-upon commitments that were made by Volkswagen and the UAW last spring in Germany. Among those commitments: Volkswagen will recognize the UAW as the representative of our members. We believe Volkswagen made this commitment in good faith and we believe the company will honor this commitment."
It's important to note that despite Casteel's remarks, this is not a collective-bargaining agreement, Harley Shaiken, a labor professor at University of California, Berkeley, told The News.
"But it is a step in the direction of recognition, which ultimately could lead to collective bargaining. This is not the end point," Shaiken said. "We don't know what's next. We're in unchartered territory."
This is a tremendous step in the UAW's long-running and at times contentious pursuit of the workforce at Chattanooga. With this latest move, "local leadership is ready to move forward with additional conversations with the company," the union said in a statement obtained by The Detroit News.
"As a starting point, UAW Local 42 will take advantage of the company's offer to establish bi-weekly meetings with Volkswagen Human Resources and the Volkswagen Chattanooga Executive Committee."
The News reports that UAW Secretary-Treasurer Gary Casteel, shown above speaking at the Chattanooga plant last summer, claimed these meetings "will remind Human Resources and the Chattanooga Executive Committee of the mutually agreed-upon commitments that were made by Volkswagen and the UAW last spring in Germany. Among those commitments: Volkswagen will recognize the UAW as the representative of our members. We believe Volkswagen made this commitment in good faith and we believe the company will honor this commitment."
It's important to note that despite Casteel's remarks, this is not a collective-bargaining agreement, Harley Shaiken, a labor professor at University of California, Berkeley, told The News.
"But it is a step in the direction of recognition, which ultimately could lead to collective bargaining. This is not the end point," Shaiken said. "We don't know what's next. We're in unchartered territory."
12-09-14, 01:19 PM
#34
Lexus Fanatic
Actually, UAW organization of the plant's work force probably won't make that much difference. Today's UAW workers are making nowhere near the high wages and benefits they did decades ago. Today's UAW employee isn't paid much more, if any, than in the non-unionized plants. Gone are the days when workers got $30-40 an hour, paid health insurance, and a lifetime pension just to mount tires and wheels all day long with an impact-wrench (though, granted, that could be hard continuous work, and many employees got repetitive-motion injuries). Today's typical UAW assembly-line employees get maybe half of that....and a 401K plan instead of a pension.
And not only that, but as union members, they will also be giving up part of their paychecks to the union itself in weekly or monthly dues.
And not only that, but as union members, they will also be giving up part of their paychecks to the union itself in weekly or monthly dues.
Last edited by mmarshall; 12-10-14 at 07:25 AM.
12-10-14, 06:58 AM
#35
It is interesting to me that the UAW continues to say that VW made a commitment to recognize the UAW, even at one point saying there is a signed agreement, but VW continues to deny such a commitment. The UAW stated again in an article in today's Chattanooga paper that it does not intend to seek an election and fully expects VW to honor their commitment and recognize the UAW as the exclusive representative for the employees. It helps the UAW that the European union is so active within VW and is putting pressure on VW to have union representation in Chattanooga (the only non-union VW facility).
Not mentioned, since this was probably from a UAW press release, is that VW established a "community engagement policy for labor groups" that provides different levels of access to the company depending on the organization's employee membership percentages (difference is generally more frequent meetings with management and more access to hold organization meetings on site). The group of employees that is opposed to the UAW has also formed an organization and also expects to be receiving access to VW as well.
We will see which "agreement" VW honors as they have also made a commitment to our governor that any union recognition will be by the use of a secret ballot vote.
Not mentioned, since this was probably from a UAW press release, is that VW established a "community engagement policy for labor groups" that provides different levels of access to the company depending on the organization's employee membership percentages (difference is generally more frequent meetings with management and more access to hold organization meetings on site). The group of employees that is opposed to the UAW has also formed an organization and also expects to be receiving access to VW as well.
We will see which "agreement" VW honors as they have also made a commitment to our governor that any union recognition will be by the use of a secret ballot vote.
02-17-15, 04:02 PM
#36
VW recognizes second union at Chattanooga plant
The ongoing story of organizing workers at Volkswagen's factory in Chattanooga, TN, continues to get more complicated. Following an independent audit, the automaker has now recognized a second union at the plant called the American Council of Employees. The group was founded there last year to offer an alternative to the United Auto Workers.
"I'm not anti-union. I understand that a properly run union can benefit people. We will be that union," Sean Moss, president of the ACE, said to Reuters, according to Automotive News. The group claims to represent at least 15 percent of the workers at the plant.
Acceptance of the ACE has led to an interesting situation in Chattanooga because VW also recognized the UAW at the factory in December 2014, and the group has claimed to represent at least 45 percent of workers there. According to Automotive News, each union has access to management, but the UAW has more because of its larger contingent of supporters. However, neither organization has a collective bargaining agreement with the automaker.
Moss may have a rough time increasing support among employees at the factory. According to Automotive News, many anti-UAW workers there are completely against unions in general. Getting these folks to join his group isn't an easy task.
The UAW has been working to fully represent the VW factory for years. However, the group lost a vote to do so in 2014. It eventually created a union local there to try to build support. All of the effort comes ahead of a $900 million plant expansion to add about 2,000 jobs and build a new crossover in Tennessee.
"I'm not anti-union. I understand that a properly run union can benefit people. We will be that union," Sean Moss, president of the ACE, said to Reuters, according to Automotive News. The group claims to represent at least 15 percent of the workers at the plant.
Acceptance of the ACE has led to an interesting situation in Chattanooga because VW also recognized the UAW at the factory in December 2014, and the group has claimed to represent at least 45 percent of workers there. According to Automotive News, each union has access to management, but the UAW has more because of its larger contingent of supporters. However, neither organization has a collective bargaining agreement with the automaker.
Moss may have a rough time increasing support among employees at the factory. According to Automotive News, many anti-UAW workers there are completely against unions in general. Getting these folks to join his group isn't an easy task.
The UAW has been working to fully represent the VW factory for years. However, the group lost a vote to do so in 2014. It eventually created a union local there to try to build support. All of the effort comes ahead of a $900 million plant expansion to add about 2,000 jobs and build a new crossover in Tennessee.
02-17-15, 05:36 PM
#37
Lexus Fanatic
With Tennessee being a Right to Work state, as I understand it, even if the employees DO vote for a union and the UAW represents the plant, under state law, employees can still work at the plant without formally joining the union. Whether the non-union employees would still get the same benefits and wages as union employees, however, is unclear. In some industries, non-union people often do get the same wages and benefits, but, because they don't pay union dues, are not allowed to attend union meetings, vote for union officials, get anything from union strike-funds, or vote on labor contracts.
Last edited by mmarshall; 02-18-15 at 09:28 AM.
02-18-15, 06:45 AM
#38
This is the group I mentioned in the post above that was originally against the UAW. Also, a little more info from a local paper:
ACE submitted membership lists to an external auditor in January and then underwent a verification process which culminated Monday with the announcement that the organization represents between 15 percent and 30 percent of employees in both the hourly and salaried employee groups—a fact that distinguishes the organization from the UAW, which represents a portion of the hourly workforce.
Under Volkswagen-Chattanooga’s Community Organization Engagement Policy, ACE is now entitled to post materials and regularly hold meetings inside the plant, enter formal discussions with Volkswagen management, and meet with VW-Chattanooga’s Human Resources staff on behalf of the hourly and salaried employee groups as often as every two weeks.
“The majority of VW-Chattanooga employees want a works council but don’t want to join an outdated, Detroit-led union in order to get it," said ACE member Tom Haney. "Now we officially have an alternative in ACE, and with each new member we take one step closer to a works council and real employee representation.”
ACE submitted membership lists to an external auditor in January and then underwent a verification process which culminated Monday with the announcement that the organization represents between 15 percent and 30 percent of employees in both the hourly and salaried employee groups—a fact that distinguishes the organization from the UAW, which represents a portion of the hourly workforce.
Under Volkswagen-Chattanooga’s Community Organization Engagement Policy, ACE is now entitled to post materials and regularly hold meetings inside the plant, enter formal discussions with Volkswagen management, and meet with VW-Chattanooga’s Human Resources staff on behalf of the hourly and salaried employee groups as often as every two weeks.
“The majority of VW-Chattanooga employees want a works council but don’t want to join an outdated, Detroit-led union in order to get it," said ACE member Tom Haney. "Now we officially have an alternative in ACE, and with each new member we take one step closer to a works council and real employee representation.”
05-08-15, 10:33 AM
#39
UAW pushes to form works council at VW Chattanooga plant
UAW Secretary-Treasurer Gary Casteel said today that the union is advancing its plan to become not only the works council partner at Volkswagen of America’s Chattanooga assembly plant but the plant’s collective-bargaining agent as well.
In a conference call this afternoon, Casteel said the UAW has fleshed out its prospective role for creating and being represented on a German-style works council that would provide formal employee input into how the plant operates.
“This is the appropriate time to put this model forward,” Casteel said.
A union local that the UAW formed at the plant last year, UAW Local 42, represents 816 workers. That’s a clear majority of the roughly 1,500 hourly workers at the plant.
Casteel said today the union also expects to represent some salaried workers below the rank of supervisor at the plant.
Casteel said VW Chattanooga is the only VW assembly plant worldwide without a works council. Having one would give workers a voice in the plant’s direction as well as provide the plant with representation in the worldwide VW organization to fight for product placement and investment. On a works council, workers and management jointly decide the strategic direction it should take.
Today, worker representation through the UAW is limited to regular meetings with company human resources personnel and the Volkswagen Chattanooga executive committee under the plant’s Community Organization Engagement Policy.
That policy was created last year after the UAW narrowly lost an organizing election at the plant. Casteel declined to say how quickly the UAW would expect VW Chattanooga to recognize the union as its works council partner.
The UAW's latest moves come as VW is spending $900 million and adding 2,000 jobs at the Chattanooga plant to increase capacity for a new mid-sized SUV. Production on the vehicle is expected to begin in late 2016.
Meanwhile, in Germany, labor leader Berthold Huber has been installed as interim chairman of Volkswagen AG following last month’s ouster of longtime chairman Ferdinand Piech.
Huber is the former head of Germany’s powerful IG Metall trade union and a vocal proponent of the UAW’s efforts to organize the Chattanooga plant, urging workers there to join the UAW in 2013 letter, Reuters reported at the time.
In a prepared statement in response to the UAW’s April disclosure of its Local 42 membership totals, a VW-Chattanooga spokesman said the company plans to continue meeting with officials from both the UAW and the American Council of Employees, a rival labor group at the plant, as allowed by VW’s Community Organization Engagement policy.
“The policy has been an effective way to maintain dialog with each of the groups and we intend to continue with the COE policy at this time,” VW spokesman Scott Wilson said in a statement.
In December, the UAW said it planned to propose a German-style works council at VW’s plant in Chattanooga while continuing its push for collective bargaining for members there following the company’s recognition that the union represents at least 45 percent of plant workers.
As part of its new works council submission to VW, the UAW proposed that the union first be designated as the collective-bargaining agent for workers at VW Chattanooga. Then, worker roles on the works council could be negotiated through that collective bargaining.
Casteel said today that VW could voluntarily recognize the UAW as that collective-bargaining unit.
Casteel reiterated that the union has no intention of holding another union election given the ability of VW Chattanooga to recognize the union without going to those lengths.
In a conference call this afternoon, Casteel said the UAW has fleshed out its prospective role for creating and being represented on a German-style works council that would provide formal employee input into how the plant operates.
“This is the appropriate time to put this model forward,” Casteel said.
A union local that the UAW formed at the plant last year, UAW Local 42, represents 816 workers. That’s a clear majority of the roughly 1,500 hourly workers at the plant.
Casteel said today the union also expects to represent some salaried workers below the rank of supervisor at the plant.
Casteel said VW Chattanooga is the only VW assembly plant worldwide without a works council. Having one would give workers a voice in the plant’s direction as well as provide the plant with representation in the worldwide VW organization to fight for product placement and investment. On a works council, workers and management jointly decide the strategic direction it should take.
Today, worker representation through the UAW is limited to regular meetings with company human resources personnel and the Volkswagen Chattanooga executive committee under the plant’s Community Organization Engagement Policy.
That policy was created last year after the UAW narrowly lost an organizing election at the plant. Casteel declined to say how quickly the UAW would expect VW Chattanooga to recognize the union as its works council partner.
The UAW's latest moves come as VW is spending $900 million and adding 2,000 jobs at the Chattanooga plant to increase capacity for a new mid-sized SUV. Production on the vehicle is expected to begin in late 2016.
Meanwhile, in Germany, labor leader Berthold Huber has been installed as interim chairman of Volkswagen AG following last month’s ouster of longtime chairman Ferdinand Piech.
Huber is the former head of Germany’s powerful IG Metall trade union and a vocal proponent of the UAW’s efforts to organize the Chattanooga plant, urging workers there to join the UAW in 2013 letter, Reuters reported at the time.
In a prepared statement in response to the UAW’s April disclosure of its Local 42 membership totals, a VW-Chattanooga spokesman said the company plans to continue meeting with officials from both the UAW and the American Council of Employees, a rival labor group at the plant, as allowed by VW’s Community Organization Engagement policy.
“The policy has been an effective way to maintain dialog with each of the groups and we intend to continue with the COE policy at this time,” VW spokesman Scott Wilson said in a statement.
In December, the UAW said it planned to propose a German-style works council at VW’s plant in Chattanooga while continuing its push for collective bargaining for members there following the company’s recognition that the union represents at least 45 percent of plant workers.
As part of its new works council submission to VW, the UAW proposed that the union first be designated as the collective-bargaining agent for workers at VW Chattanooga. Then, worker roles on the works council could be negotiated through that collective bargaining.
Casteel said today that VW could voluntarily recognize the UAW as that collective-bargaining unit.
Casteel reiterated that the union has no intention of holding another union election given the ability of VW Chattanooga to recognize the union without going to those lengths.
10-26-15, 11:34 AM
#41
They are back! The UAW is trying to get its nose under the tent in Chattanooga. I noticed in the Wall Street Journal over the weekend that the UAW has filed paper work with the NLRB to have a vote to represent 165 skilled trade workers at the VW plant. This time they are going after this small group, instead of the approximate total of 1,500 manufacturing workers. I would assume they are very sure of themselves to pursue this.
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02-09-14 02:20 PM