United Auto Workers officials say they hope the focus of a proposed union election in coming weeks at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant is on the factory’s workforce and not on outsiders.
During the 2014 election, there was “a lot of outside interference,” said Steve Cochran, president of UAW Local 42 in Chattanooga. “We hope that doesn’t happen like the last time.”
What’s next
Volkswagen and the United Auto Workers are waiting for the National Labor Relations Board to decide whether to approve the holding of an election for the Chattanooga plant.
But a former National Labor Relations Board member said Chattanooga employees need to be informed about what they’re voting on.
“At the end of the day it isn’t about being pro- or anti-union. What’s important is that every employee is at least provided information to learn if this is a good idea or not,” said John Raudabaugh, who’s also an attorney for the National Right to Work Foundation.