Wall Street Journal (09/13/13) Neal E. Boudette

The United Auto Workers believes it has signed union cards from more than 50% of Volkswagen AG’s employees at its plant in Chattanooga, TN. If verified, the union can seek certification from the National Labor Relations Board as the plant’s official representative. Volkswagen chose to place the plant in Tennessee in 2011 in part because it was a right-to-work state.

German labor representatives have pushed to have workers represented by a works council, and U.S. labor law requires companies with works councils to have workers represented by an outside union. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) wants to keep the union out of the plant, to entice other businesses to the state.