Germany’s IG Metall labour body is warning against the establishment of a ‘yellow’ union at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant in Tennessee.
IG Metall – representing around 2.3m members in Germany – has been a close observer of the recent elections for UAW representation at the southern US plant – which narrowly resulted in a defeat by 44 votes to establishing a union body.
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The UAW has now filed an appeal with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) relating to what it claims is “interference by politicians” in the recent election, with the union insisting there was a “firestorm of interference” in its bid to have a Works Council established.
Volkswagen itself is staying neutral in the tense situation, but recently noted it had found “great enthusiasm for the idea of an American-style works council both inside and outside our plant.”
But IG Metall is cautioning against the establishment of any diluted form of union representation,
“From my talks and contacts with unions in the US, I can tell there is scepticism against house unions,” IG Metall international department director, Horst Mund, told just-auto from Germany.
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By GlobalData“We have seen attempts throughout the world [when] yellow unions are installed. I am not saying Volkswagen is anywhere near contemplating this – on the contrary they are definitely not.”
Despite IG Metall’s concerns surrounding the establishment of such a body, the German union nonetheless conceded it was “disappointed” with the tight vote that saw the workforce answer ‘no’ by 712 to 626 votes.
The UAW itself has railed against what it insists was a “widely-publicised, coercive campaign conducted by politicians,” to persuade workers not to join the labour body, with president, Bob King, slamming what he described as “extraordinary interference” in the attempts to unionise.
However, referring to any establishment of a Works Council mooted by Volkswagen, Mund noted: “You definitely need union representation” as a pre-condition.
“You can’t have a Works Council without a union.” You can have a union without a Works Council, but not the other way round.”
Reacting to any suggestion the UAW were ‘sore losers,’ the IG Metall international department director maintained: “How do you achieve progress? Is it winning in the first place – I think you try again.
“Call it bad losers or not – the fight was never fair We did not anticipate the amount of dirt put to the UAW.”
Mund expressed frustration issues which would be discussed routinely in Germany, while having “controversies,” became a matter of “life [and] death” in the US, especially the south.
“This is not about life and death,” he said. “It is about simple choice.”
Senator Bob Corker (R), who as mayor of Chattanooga from 2001-2005 worked to develop the Enterprise South Industrial Park, currently housing Volkswagen’s North America headquarters, said last week he was concerned about the possibility of being “muzzled” in the debate.
