Business Briefs: UAW to elect local officers

photo United Auto Workers, UAW, logo

The United Auto Workers has plans to select an election committee for its Chattanooga local union on Aug. 19, says a UAW newsletter.

The newsletter, which was passed out last week at the plant entrance, includes information on how the local was formed, a picture of membership cards and letters of support from other unions. Maury Nicely, who represented an anti-UAW group during the February election, said the activity by the union violates the neutrality agreement VW signed for the February election, which the UAW lost 712-626. Nicely said the union is "breaking its promises to team members."

Gary Casteel, the UAW's secretary-treasurer, said that since no one else is a party to the UAW-VW agreement, "it is solely the business of the UAW and VW. Neither the UAW or Volkswagen have objected to the current membership drive at Local 42, and it would seem there is consensus.


Judge approves TVA payments

A federal judge in Knoxville this week approved a settlement in which TVA will pay $27.8 million to more than 800 victims of the 2008 Kingston coal ash spill.

Rhon Jones, the Montgomery, Ala., attorney who represented the damaged property owners for the past five years, said the payments are "important for every property owner impacted by this terrible tragedy." TVA is giving $250,00 in insurance payments, but it expects to spend $1.2 billion to clean up and compensate for the spill.

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