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Autoworkers Narrowly Lose Again at Chattanooga VW Plant
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 June 21, 2019 | ORGANIZING | In another setback to the Auto Workers’ long campaign to organize foreign-owned “transplant” auto plants in the union-hostile South, UAW Local 42 lost a second recognition vote at the big Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. The June 14 tally was 774-833 in a 93% worker turnout. While VW management was officially neutral—or so it said—in-plant supervisors conducted a strong anti-UAW campaign among the plant’s 1,700 workers. Tennessee’s ruling Republican politicians again threatened the Chattanooga plant would lose state subsidies and tax breaks if the workers voted union...VW has 45 plants worldwide. Only two, the one in Chattanooga and another in China, are non-union. In the others, the firm abides by labor laws, especially in its home nation, Germany. There, the VW workers’ union—like all other unions—has mandatory representation on the company board. And tactics used against U.S. unions’ organizing drives, such as mandatory company meetings with threats of discipline if workers don’t attend, are outlawed… People’s World Photo: Nick Carey/Reuters
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