Jonathan BrowningVolkswagen Group of America’s chief said today that the company is looking for “an innovative solution” that permits Chattanooga plant employees to have a strong voice in the automaker’s global works council structure through “a formal vote.”
“That process has to run its course,” said Jonathan Browning during a conference call on August sales results with reporters and analysts.
Browning said the decision is up to employees “through a formal vote. Those realities haven’t changed.”
The CEO was responding to a question about talks between top VW and United Auto Workers officials last week in Wolfsburg, Germany, about the potential of such a labor board at the Chattanooga plant.
Some experts have said that a works council, which could include hourly and salaried employees to discuss plant-related issues, would run afoul of U.S. labor law unless a union is formally involved.