By ERIK SCHELZIG
Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee officials promoting a 6-square-mile "megasite" outside of Memphis say it would be ideally suited for a new auto assembly plant - even if its workers are represented by the United Auto Workers union.
Those comments by Bill Hagerty, the chief economic development official in Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's Cabinet, come after attempts by the UAW to represent workers at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga that were heavily criticized by the governor and other GOP politicians in the state.
The UAW ultimately lost the Volkswagen union in a 712-626 vote last week.
Haslam, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker and fellow Republicans in the state Legislature argued that a UAW win would have hurt the region's ability to attract suppliers and other future business to the state.