Volkswagen: IndustriALL Global is ready to change up a gear in its dispute over the automaker’s US Chattanooga site (in brief)

In a press statement on 12 December, the global industry union federation indicated that on 30 November its executive committee had unanimously voted for a resolution calling on Volkswagen to cease its legal action seeking to hinder recognition of the UAW union (United Automobile Workers) for VW’s US Chattanooga site’s maintenance workers, which the union argues secured its representative rights by way of a vote held in 2015 (c.f. article No. 9404). After its failed union establishment vote in 2014 (c.f. article No. 8181) the UAW opted to organize worker sub-groups and succeeded in winning a vote among skilled maintenance staff in 2015. According to IndustriALL Global, VW set in process a chain of legal action contesting the union’s foothold and refusing to negotiate a collective agreement in accordance with the obligations of US law. If VW does not cease its legal action then “IndustriALL Global sees no other option than to suspend the global framework agreement it signed with the company” as a way of manifesting its dispute with the group over its practices. In a resolution adopted on 06 December by the VW global works council, unions across the globe are backing the demand for immediate recognition for these Chattanooga-based skilled workers.