Haslam And Corker Subpoenaed To Testify On VW Union Vote

Gov. Bill Haslam speaks at VW in May of 2011. He has now been subpoenaed along with 19 others to testify during NLRB hearings in April. Credit: TN Photo Services

Attorneys for the United Auto Workers are trying to make U.S. Senator Bob Corker and Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam testify later this month. The National Labor Relations Board is investigating whether there was a coordinated effort to prevent unionization at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant.

In all, 20 subpoenas were issued Wednesday. Beyond Haslam and Corker, the state’s economic development commissioner is named, two lawmakers from Chattanooga, several aides and even anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist. The common thread is that they all spoke publicly against organizing at Volkswagen. And the UAW wants to prove that they were working in tandem.

The NLRB allows the use of subpoenas to uncover documents and to get people to testify, according to the UAW. President Bob King says they’re part of the “truth-seeking exercise.”

“The purpose of the NLRB’s investigation is to determine the truth concerning the third party interference in the February election at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant,” the statement says.

Sen. Corker’s chief of staff Todd Womack – who himself was served with a subpoena – issued a terse statement of his own, suggesting the UAW’s legal tactics should be a “cautionary tale” for those who might sympathize with the union.

Called to testify by the UAW:

1. U.S. Senator Bob Corker
2. Todd Womack, Chief of Staff to Senator Corker
3. Micah Johnson, Press Aide to Senator Corker
4. Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam
5. Tennessee Economic Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty
6. Will Alexander, Aide to Commissioner Hagerty
7. Tennessee Senator Bo Watson
8. Tres Wittum, Aide to Senator Watson
9. Beth Harwell, Tennessee Speaker of the House
10. Gerald McCormick, Tennessee Representative and Majority Leader
11. Grover Norquist
12. Matt Patterson
13. Tucker Nelson
14. Walter Orechwa
15. Jim Gray
16. Peter List
17. Maurice Nicely
18. Southern Momentum Inc.
19. Tim Spires
20. Ron Harr