Filed under: Government/Legal, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Plants/Manufacturing, Volkswagen, UAW/Unions
Volkswagen and the United Auto Workers union are now one step closer to achieving a deal that would see VW’s plant in Chattanooga, TN become unionized. If it happens, it would be the first major victory in recent years for the UAW at a plant in the United States run by a foreign automaker. The UAW had formerly represented workers at VW’s Westmoreland plant in Pennsylvania, which first opened in 1978 and is now closed. At present, the only non-Domestic facility in the States that is unionized is the Mitsubishi plant in Normal, IL.
While neither side is officially commenting, Automotive News Europe, citing a story in German newspaper Handelsblatt, reports that a meeting was held last Friday between plant officials and Bob King, president of the UAW. Negotiations are reportedly underway that would see a so-called German-style works council formed. This council would allow both blue-collar and white-collar employees to elect representatives that would have a say in any significant plant discussion.
VW’s Chattanooga plant is the only facility the automaker operates in the whole world that isn’t represented by a union of some sort, and US labor law apparently requires that an outside body, such as the UAW, be involved in any such negotiations. Horst Neumann, the board member for human resources at VW, said in March that “The UAW would be a natural partner,” but that any deal would “depend on negotiations.” It would seem those negotiations are now underway in earnest.
VW, UAW hold high-level talks on organizing Chattanooga originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Sep 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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It’s musical chairs season at General Motors. The automaker has announced a rash of personnel changes in positions ranging from U.S. vice president to chief technology officer. Perhaps most interestingly, The General has appointed Mary Barra as the company’s new vice president of global product development. That’s quite a change from her previous post, where Berra served as the vice president of global human resources – a position she’s held since 2009. Berra officially takes the reins on February 1.
The UAW has announced its support for Hyundai workers in South Korea who have been on strike since November 15. The employees are all temporary and contract workers who receive lower pay and fewer benefits compared to their full-time counterparts, and their strike has managed to shut down a production facility. According to the Detroit Free Press, the UAW says that at least one fifth of Hyundai workers are temporary and that those workers deserve the same pay and benefit as the automaker’s full-time employees. In addition, the UAW says that many of the Hyundai temporary workers are often hired by false contractors. 
General Motors is giving the public a glimpse into the company’s inner workings though a series of factory tours. Each of the 54 GM manufacturing facilities in the United States are set to host open-house events in order to give everyone a better idea of exactly what goes on in the newly-public automaker’s plants. Each of the facilities will choose a date for their respective event and invite their local community inside by the end of 2011. 
