United Auto Workers drops appeal
of Tennessee VW plant election loss
The union says it will
concentrate on a
Congressional probe
of political interference
The United Auto Workers (UAW) is
dropping its federal appeal of a narrow
union election loss at Volkswagen’s
Chattanooga, Tenn., plant. Instead,
President Bob King says the union will
concentrate on a probe by Congres-
sional Democrats of political interfer-
ence that led to the defeat.
The union lost the election 712-628
after threats by Republican Gov. Bill
Haslam, Republican U.S. Sen. Bob
Corker, and other ruling Tennessee Re-
publicans to yank tax breaks and other
state aid from VW in Chattanooga if
workers went with the union. The
Chattanooga drive was a key part of the
UAW’s effort to enter nonunion foreign
auto firm “transplants” in the anti-
union South, as well as part of labor’s
overall effort to increase union density
in that region.
Besides the interference from
Corker and Haslam, outside anti-union
groups pumped millions of dollars
worth of advertising into the Chat-
tanooga area opposing the union and
linking UAW to Democratic President
Barack Obama and saying the union
would take away peoples’ guns.
VW had signed a neutrality agree-
ment with the union prior to the elec-
tion, and did not oppose the organizing
campaign. Top VW officials said they
favored a “works council” at Chat-
tanooga to handle labor-management
relations. VW has works councils at all
plants worldwide, except Chattanooga
and in China.
King’s April 21 announcement that
the union was dropping the appeal
came a week before a National Labor
Relations Board (NLRB) administra-
tive law judge was scheduled to hear
the case.
The UAW based its decision on the
belief that “the NLRB’s historically
dysfunctional and complex process po-
tentially could drag on for months or
even years,” the union said in a state-
ment.
Additionally, the UAW cited re-
fusals by Haslam and Corker to partic-
ipate in a “transparent legal discovery
process, which undermines public trust
and confidence.” The two pols refused
to appear before the NLRB judge.
Instead of pursuing the NLRB’s le-
gal process, the union is banking on
Congress to continue to shine a spot-
light on the political interference with
the union vote. That spotlight may
come if Haslam replies to an April 16
letter from Reps. George Miller (D-
Calif.) and John Tierney (D-Mass.),
seeking state documents and e-mails
relating to the Chattanooga vote. Miller
is the top Democrat on the GOP-run
House Education and the Workforce
Committee.
Citing their oversight responsibili-
ties, the two lawmakers “respectfully
request information about whether any
Tennessee state officials directly or in-
directly conditioned, or threatened to
condition, state aid to Volkswagen on
the outcome of the efforts to establish a
union and/or works council at the Chat-
tanooga plant,” their letter says.
“In circumstances in which state aid
has been conditioned or is threatened
to be conditioned on the outcome of a
question of workers’ representation,
Congress has a significant interest.
Such state-level conditioning may un-
dermine employees’ federally-guaran-
teed freedom to choose whether or not
to be represented by a union,” Miller
and Tierney said.
IBEW & United Workers
Federal Credit Union
Turns 60 Years Old
IBEW and United Workers Federal Credit Union celebrated its 60th
anniversary at its annual meeting April 15 in Northeast Portland. The actual
charter date of the credit union is May 7, 1954. Helping celebrate was one of
the original members of the credit union — Frank Bates (pictured above). A
longtime member of IBEW Local 48, Bates was member number five, said
Credit Union President/CEO Barbara Mathey (standing behind Bates). Bates
also served on the board of directors for 35 years, leaving in 2009. IBEW and
United Workers Federal Credit Union is located at 9955 SE Washington St.,
Portland.
Motorcycle poker run June 14; tickets
to win a new Harley bike still available
The 12th annual Unions for Kids
Motorcycle Poker Run & Chili Cook-
off will be held Saturday, June 14, start-
ing at 9 a.m.
Unions for Kids is a nonprofit, all-
volunteer organization established in
2003 by union members and support-
ers to raise money for Doernbecher
Children’s Hospital. One hundred per-
cent of the proceeds from its events go
to that cause. To date, $390,000 has
been donated.
Most of the money is raised through
a raffle to win a Harley Davidson Soft-
ail Classic motorcycle valued at
$21,569. Tickets are $10 each, with
only 5,000 tickets sold.
The 75-mile motorcycle poker run
starts and finishes at the IBEW Local
48 Hall, 15937 NE Airport Way, Port-
land. Registration is from 8:30 to 10
a.m. All poker hands must be returned
by 2:45 p.m. to be eligible to win cash
prizes.
The event also features vendors, raf-
fle prizes a silent auction, and chili
cook-off competition.
The drawing for the motorcycle will
be held at 4 p.m.
For more information about Unions
for Kids, the Poker Run, or to purchase
a Harley motorcycle raffle ticket, visit
www.unionsforkids.org, or call Duncan
at 503-260-5905.
Harley Davidson motorcycle raffle
tickets can be purchased at the follow-
ing locations:
IBEW & United Workers Federal
Credit Union, 9955 SE Washington
St., Portland; Teamsters Council 37
Federal Credit Union, 1866 NE
162nd Ave., Portland; Bounty Hunter
Saloon, 11445 SW Pacific Hwy.,
Tigard; Midnight Roundup Saloon,
345 NW Burnside, Gresham; Gateway
Pub, 39100 Pioneer, Sandy; Dita’s
Chocolates, 38915 Proctor Blvd.,
Sandy; and Wooden Chicken Pub,
12500 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland.
Gradine Storms,
Principal Broker
Member of CWA Local 7901
7886 SE 13th, Portland, OR•Cell/Text 503-784-8326
gstorms@equitygroup.com Linkedin/GradyStorms
Low Prices!
Broadway Floral
for the BEST flowers call
503-288-5537
Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9:30-5:30, Sun 12-6
MAY 2, 2014
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
1638 NE Broadway, Portland
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