The United Auto Workers Local 42 in Chattanooga on Monday filed charges against Volkswagen, claiming the automaker refuses to enter into collective bargaining with the unit that earlier this month voted to be represented by the union.
The charge filed with the National Labor Relations Board claimed Volkswagen Group of America is violating the National Labor Relations Act by not bargaining with skilled-trades employees at the company’s Chattanooga facility.
Gary Casteel, the UAW’s secretary-treasurer and director of its Transnational Department, said VW is “not only doing a disservice to its employees but now is thumbing its nose at the federal government as well.”
He said the NLRB determined Volkswagen’s skilled-trades employees constitute an appropriate collective bargaining unit, then supervised a fair election and promptly certified the results.
“Following this month’s election, we were hopeful that the company would accept the results and recommit to the principles of social responsibility that made Volkswagen a respected global brand,” Casteel said in a statement. “Instead, Volkswagen has refused to come to the bargaining table in violation of federal law.”