In what could be a victory for the Detroit-based United Auto Workers, a union official in Tennessee says a majority of workers at Volkswagen's assembly plant in the state have signed cards favoring the UAW’s representation in creating a German-style works council at the plant.
The official told the Associated Press that the cards are as legally binding as an election by the workers.
More from the AP:
Gary Casteel, a Tennessee-based regional director for the UAW, tells The Associated Press that the cards include a statement about wanting to join VW's Global Works Council and supporting cooperative and collaborative relations with the company. Casteel says the cards are as legally binding as an election by the workers at the plant in Chattanooga. Union representation at Volkswagen would signal a sea change in labor relations among foreign automakers who have resisted unions at their plants in the South. Republican politicians in the region have expressed fears that a UAW foothold would hurt future recruiting efforts.
UAW President Bob King has made representation a priority, saying the UAW is ultimately destined to fail if it cannot unionize foreign companies' factories in the U.S.
