Volkswagen Chattanooga signA United Auto Workers official said today it will start working with Volkswagen under a new company labor policy so the automaker can verify the UAW's membership level in Chattanooga and the union can begin engaging VW inside the plant.
"When that verification has been completed, we will take advantage of the company's offer to establish regular meetings with Volkswagen human resources and the Volkswagen Chattanooga executive committee," said Gary Casteel, the UAW's secretary-treasurer, in a statement. He said UAW Local 42's membership is in excess of a majority of workers at the plant.
Meanwhile, a rival group to the UAW today lauded the labor policy unfurled by VW, saying it will give employees at the plant a choice.
"It is evident that this policy is intended to present employees with a clear choice, and as we have seen over the past several weeks- hourly and salaried workers alike choose the American Council of Employees," said Sean Moss, interim president of ACE, in a letter sent to its members.
The policy sets guidelines for interactions with labor organizations whose membership includes a significant percentage of employees.
Called a community organization engagement policy, it says an organization must exist for the primary purpose of representing employees and their interests to employers consistent with the National Labor Relations Act.
Its purpose is to allow eligible organizations the opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue with Volkswagen and its employees, the company said.
The policy establishes three levels of engagement and commensurate opportunities relative to the VW employees represented.
"We recognize and accept that many of our employees are interested in external representation and we are putting this policy in place so that a constructive dialog is possible and available for everyone," said Sebastian Patta, executive vice president for human resources for VW in Chattanooga.
Examples of opportunities available under this program include the ability to use company space for group meetings, the ability to post information and announcements, and to have regular meetings with Volkswagen management representatives.
An external auditor will be engaged to verify the percentage of a particular group's employee membership to determine what level of engagement has been reached.
"Of course, any employee can approach Volkswagen at any time with an idea or a concern. But we wanted to extend these additional opportunities to groups of employees who want to talk with Volkswagen about issues of common interest," said Ryan Rose, general manager for human resourse operations in Chattanooga.
See more in Thursday's Times Free Press.