NLRB Certifies Vote Rejecting UAW


Tennessee’s Chattanooga Volkswagen plant workers won a victory as the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) certifed election results from a February vote which rejected representation by the United Auto Workers union.  National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation attorneys represented workers who just wanted to work free from union boss interference.

Melanie Trottman has the story in the Wall Street Journal.

The National Labor Relations Board has certified a February election in which the United Auto Workers union was rejected by workers at a  Volkswagen AG plant in Tennessee, bringing to an end a two-month battle over the result.

The UAW must now halt all organizing activities at the Chattanooga plant for at least one year, a requirement of the so-called neutrality agreement that was signed between the union and the auto maker. Certification of the vote also should clear the way for Volkswagen to resume discussions with Tennessee authorities about tax breaks and other economic incentives the company seeks in connection with a possible expansion of the plant.

NLRB spokesman Gregory King said Tuesday that the agency’s tally of the votes certified that a majority of ballots in the election weren’t cast for the UAW, and thus no collective-bargaining agent was selected. The agency, which supervises union-organizing elections in private-sector workplaces, has notified the parties involved, Mr. King said.

The certification comes after the UAW decided to drop an effort to have the NLRB order a new election. The union had alleged that public comments by politicians had improperly swayed the election against unionization.

The withdrawal on Monday of the UAW’s complaint cleared the way for the NLRB to certify the vote count of 712 to 626 as the official outcome and the union’s defeat as final, clearing the way for the company to resume expansion talks with Tennessee authorities.

The National Labor Relations Act restricts what employers and unions can do and say. Employers, for example, can’t promise workers benefits to discourage them from supporting the union, and unions can’t threaten workers’ jobs to win their support.

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