NASHVILLE – After being blocked in her legislative effort to prohibit Ford Motor Co. from allowing the United Auto Workers to unionize workers at a planned plant in West Tennessee through a “card check” certification process viewed by critics as too union friendly, state Rep. Robin Smith says she intends to offer a retooled version of the bill to halt the method next year.
But it won’t apply to the now-approved legislation for the Ford plant, the Hixson Republican said, because it can’t be applied retroactively. She said her hope is to have it apply to efforts at other companies and operations going forward.
Smith had offered a House floor amendment Wednesday in this week’s special session on the appropriation bill brought by Gov. Bill Lee as part of his agreement with Ford and its partner SK Innovation. The companies are investing $5.6 billion in an electric truck production facility and accompanying battery plant in rural West Tennessee.
Lee’s bill, which had yet to reach his desk as of late Friday afternoon, provides $500 million to Ford to reimburse the company as it builds the facilities. On top of that, the measure contains an additional $384 million that Tennessee says is necessary to provide necessary sewer, road and other infrastructure as well as a technical college in Stanton, Tennessee, in Haywood County.
“It was explained to me that when passing strictly an appropriations bill, it has to stand alone and can’t change anything in state code,” said Smith, who also noted that GOP colleagues also wanted to have a broader conversation about union certification procedures.