Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Thursday he thinks it would be a "mistake" for workers at the Volkswagen assembly plant in Chattanooga to unionize.
"I've long said workers that have a tremendous future and an opportunity because of the high demand, those workers should keep their future in their own hands," the Republican governor was quoted by The Tennessee Journal as telling reporters. "I think it would be a mistake for workers at that plant or any plant to turn their future over to someone else, namely to the union."
Lee's comments followed his signing into law a bill providing legal protections for songwriters.
Volkswagen Chattanooga employee Zachary Costello, a member of the UAW's organizing committee, said in a statement that for too long politicians have told workers what to do and how to vote, but this time "it's not going to work."
"A supermajority of my co-workers are making an informed decision to vote 'yes' so that we can negotiate to improve our wages, health care and to have a voice on the job. We build the cars, but we don't have a say in anything," Costello said.
He said workers "deserve to profit and thrive just like the company. We will win this fight so we can build a better life for ourselves, for our families and for Chattanooga."
On Monday, the UAW filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board for a vote on union representation at Volkswagen Chattanooga, which would be the third election for its production workers since 2014.
The UAW lost elections in 2014 and 2019 by close margins at the plant that produces the Atlas and ID.4 SUVs.
Lee's statement marks the second comment this week by a state political or business official after a comparatively subdued couple of months amid union organizing.
Bradley Jackson, CEO of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Tennessee Manufacturers Association, said in a Chattanooga Times Free Press opinion column Thursday that workers should know "the dangers that come with joining up with the UAW."
He said the union "is not as committed to workplace democracy as the people of Tennessee."
In 2019, Lee addressed VW workers at the plant and encouraged a vote against the union.
Monday's UAW petition called for an election April 17, 18 and 19 at the factory, though the dates could shift if the UAW and company don't agree on election details such as the size of the bargaining unit.
In the petition, the size of the bargaining unit is 4,300 production and skilled maintenance employees. Some 5,500 people work for Volkswagen Chattanooga.
According to the NLRB, if the parties do not stipulate to the details of an election, a preelection hearing is slated for March 26 in Atlanta.
The union said in a statement Monday the petition was filed after "a supermajority" of Volkswagen employees signed union cards in the past 100 days.
According to the UAW, the petition marks the first nonunion auto plant to file for an election among dozens of factories where workers have organized in recent months. The effort sprang up after union victories last year for Big Three autoworkers.
The UAW announced in December that more than 1,000 Volkswagen Chattanooga workers had signed authorization cards supporting a union. In early February, the UAW said more than 50% of VW employees had signed cards.
Michael W. Lowder, a Volkswagen Group of America spokesperson, said Monday in a statement the company respects workers' right to a democratic process and to determine who should represent their interests.
"We will fully support an NLRB vote so every team member has a chance to vote in privacy in this important decision," he said. "Volkswagen is proud of our working environment in Chattanooga that provides some of the best paying jobs in the area."
After the petition was filed, President Joe Biden issued a statement saying he supports a vote at the plant.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.