Right to Work group hits UAW on VW Chattanooga efforts

photo In this March 22, 2012, file photo, workers assemble a Passat sedan at Volkswagen AG's plant in Chattanooga, Tenn.

A national right to work group is offering free legal aid to Volkswagen's Chattanooga employees who feel they're being pressured to associate with the United Auto Workers.

"Recent media reports suggest that UAW union officials are working to negotiate the workplace conditions of Volkswagen's Chattanooga employees even though the workers are not represented by the UAW's union hierarchy," said Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, said in a statement.

The Springfield, Va.-based group said that it has "seen again and again the UAW union hierarchy pressure companies to cut backroom deals designed to push workers into union ranks whether the employees like it or not," he said.

VW's board member in charge of human resources said last month that the automaker is in talks with the UAW about setting up a German-style works council labor board.

Bob King, the UAW's president, said the union "is very interested in, and has great respect for, the German system of co-determination where the company has strong collaboration with management, unions and works councils."

See Friday's Times Free Press for full story.

Upcoming Events