Southern Momentum, a non-profit group representing VW Team Members opposed to the presence of the United Auto Workers at the Volkswagen facility in Chattanooga, on Friday morning filed a motion to intervene in the objections being pursued by the UAW to the recent election.
In that election, VW Team Members chose not to be represented by the UAW, by a vote of 712 to 626.
Joining individually in the motion to intervene are two VW Team Members who are involved with Southern Momentum, Travis Finnell and Sean Moss.
“Should VW decide to abstain from responding to the Objections based on the Neutrality Agreement in place between Volkswagen and the UAW (as appears to be the case),” the motion provides, “appropriate arguments against the Objections and in favor of upholding the election results may not be presented.”
Months before the election, VW Team Members involved with Southern Momentum obtained more than 600 signatures on a petition opposing the UAW at the Chattanooga facility, the group said. That figure represents approximately 40 percent of the employees eligible to vote in the recent election.
“The results of the election should stand,” said Mr. Finnell, one of the VW Team Members joining in the motion to intervene. “If we as employees don’t have a say in this election, then who does?”
Filed with the motion to intervene is the group’s response to the UAW objections to the election, which focuses on allegations that interference by public officials improperly influenced the outcome of the election.
“The standard for overturning election results because of comments by elected officials is incredibly high,” said Maury Nicely, a Chattanooga attorney who represents Southern Momentum. “To uphold the weak arguments offered by the UAW would be unprecedented.”