A worker cleans a Volkswagen logo.The National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys have requested an official inquiry into the National Labor Relations Board's conduct in adjudicating several Chattanooga Volkswagen America workers' charges against VW and the United Auto Workers during the union's organizing campaign.
Foundation attorneys have asked the NLRB's inspector general to investigate the agency's conduct during its processing of the workers' unfair labor practice charges that the NLRB Division of Advice instructed the NLRB Regional Director in Atlanta to dismiss.
The NRWF cited what it said was the highly unusual release of documents about the NLRB investigation to news outlets, including the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Last week, NLRB staff in Washington, D.C., released the Division of Advice's two "Advice Memorandums" to members of the media in Chattanooga and Knoxville but not to the workers' Foundation staff attorneys. Foundation public relations staff later received the NLRB memos from a reporter in Chattanooga. The Board staff released these Advice Memorandums to the press even though such memos are rarely, if ever, released to anyone in open cases.
"The NLRB's actions undermined Foundation attorneys' ability to advise their clients before the NLRB's dismissal of their cases became publicly known," said Ray LaJeunesse, legal director of the foundation in a statement. "The NLRB's conduct further cements the perception that one set of rules applies to benefit union bosses and another set of rules applies against workers who wish to remain union free."
See Thursday's Times Free Press for more.