The American Council of Employees said Wednesday the United Auto Workers shouldn’t be allowed to gain representation without an employee election at the Volkswagen plant.
“The VW-Chattanooga employees have repeatedly expressed our expectation that any decision on labor representation be made by the employees themselves, fairly and accurately through a secret ballot election,” said ACE President Sean Moss in a statement.
Moss, a VW employee who has opposed the UAW in Chattanooga, said that “we are all well aware of the threats and intimidation tactics used by the UAW to pressure workers in past card check campaigns.”
Maury Nicely, an attorney for the labor group that’s challenging the UAW at the plant, termed the union’s appeal to VW to recognize the union without another employee election “incredibly suspect.” He said the UAW is counting on receiving support “under the table from Volkswagen, so it can cut a back-room deal, without which it would not stand a chance of success.”
Mike Cantrell, president of UAW Local 42 in Chattanooga, told the Times Free Press recently that the union wants VW to recognize it by checking its membership cards rather than holding another employee election.