Skip to main content
Monday, November 9, 2026Nov 9
Subscribe
All Sections
Search
More

Volkswagen reverses course on union at Chattanooga plant

FILE - In this Feb. 14, 2013, file photo, the Volkswagen logo is seen on the grill of a Volkswagen on display in Pittsburgh. A person briefed on the matter said Wednesday, April 20, 2016, that Volkswagen has reached an agreement with the U.S. government to spend just over $1 billion to compensate owners of diesel-powered cars that cheat on emissions tests. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
FILE - In this Feb. 14, 2013, file photo, the Volkswagen logo is seen on the grill of a Volkswagen on display in Pittsburgh. A person briefed on the matter said Wednesday, April 20, 2016, that Volkswagen has reached an agreement with the U.S. government to spend just over $1 billion to compensate owners of diesel-powered cars that cheat on emissions tests. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File) FILE - In this Feb. 14, 2013, file photo, the Volkswagen logo is seen on the grill of a Volkswagen on display in Pittsburgh. A person briefed on the matter said Wednesday, April 20, 2016, that Volkswagen has reached an agreement with the U.S. government to spend just over $1 billion to compensate owners of diesel-powered cars that cheat on emissions tests. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

By Neal Boudette, New York Times 5 min read

photo U. S. Senator Bob Corker meets with members of the Chattanooga Time Free Press editorial board Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn.
photo UAW secretary-treasurer Gary Casteel addresses Times Free Press staff in an editorial board meeting at the paper on Friday, Aug. 29, 2014 in Chattanooga, Tenn. (Maura Friedman/Times Free Press)

Just two years ago, Volkswagen was actively supporting the United Auto Workers in its push to organize the company’s plant in Chattanooga.

But in September, the German automaker was plunged into turmoil over revelations that it had equipped almost 600,000 diesel cars sold in the United States with software to cheat on tailpipe emissions tests.

Since then, a large portion of Volkswagen’s senior management has changed – and so has its approach to the union drive. Now, rather than cooperating with the UAW, Volkswagen is trying to block the union.

The change signals a retreat from Volkswagen’s previous efforts to replicate in Chattanooga, a German model of labor relations, in which workers have a strong voice influencing factory operations.

The latest clash came last week when Volkswagen announced that it would go to federal court to appeal a recent victory by the UAW. Late last year, a majority of the Chattanooga plant’s 160 maintenance workers voted to accept representation by the union.