UAW Wants To Delay VW Hearings After New Documents Come To Light

Gov. Bill Haslam speaks at the VW grand opening in Chattanooga shortly after being elected to office in 2011. Credit: TN Photo Services via Flickr

The United Auto Workers wants to delay hearings into whether Republican politicians swayed a union vote at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant. New documents show the state had nearly $300 million in government incentives riding on what happened there.

This formal offer from Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam’s administration was leaked to WTVF. It outlines a combination of tax breaks and cash for Volkswagen to expand its plant. A disclaimer says the unionization effort had to be worked out “to the satisfaction” of state leaders.

But at the time, Haslam told reporters money was not tied to keeping a union out.

“Did you offer any more incentives if they would oppose the UAW there?” a reporter asked in September.

“We did not,” Haslam replied. “We have said, you know, obviously what you all do there matters to us.”

When workers narrowly voted down the UAW in February, the union challenged the results. Hearings by the National Labor Relations Board were scheduled to begin later this month, but the UAW now wants more time to file these documents as evidence of collusion.

Aside from the contingent incentive package, the UAW cites emails published by WTVF that show ongoing discussions between the Haslam administration, the office of U.S. Sen. Bob Corker and anti-union organizations.

The request to the NLRB to delay the hearings say the email chains “close a loop” on whether there was coordination between state officials and groups like the National Right to Work Defense Foundation.