General Motors rival Volkswagen has hired former GM Executive Christena Wilson to take charge of its upcoming labor contract negotiations with the UAW.
According to a report from Automotive News, Wilson has been with the German-based automaker since July 2024 as VW Labor Relations Director. Having worked at The General for 25 years, Wilson has held a number of positions, including Human Resources and Labor Relations Site Director at the GM Arlington plant in Texas.
It’s worth noting that this comes as the vast majority of VW Chattanooga workers voted to join the UAW in April 2024.
“We remain focused on preparing for collective bargaining and have hired Christena Wilson to lead labor relations,” a Volkswagen spokesperson remarked in a prepared statement. “As we’ve said, we will enter negotiations in the spirit of working together to reach a fair agreement that will ensure a strong and successful future of Volkswagen Chattanooga with the UAW.”
Interestingly, the UAW had previously failed to organize the VW Chattanooga plant twice in the past decade. This time around, union supporters pointed to the fruitful contract negotiations the UAW had with the Big Three, and successful pitched that unionized VW workers could garner better pay, benefits and job security this time around.
In other UAW-related developments, GM Authority reported that the union recently appointed Jessica Gubing as CEO of the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust. For reference, the Trust provides access to care for approximately 530,000 eligible retiree members across 50 U.S. states and spent $4 billion in retiree benefits back in 2022.
“I feel my career – my healthcare background, automotive experience, and strong UAW relationships built over me – has pinnacled in this new role,” Gubing noted. “I am excited to join the Trust, to work with its team. My goal is to provide the highest quality health care for retirees responsibly within the Trust’s fiscal means.”
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Comments
Hmmm… I’m not sure the person who negotiated the deal that will likely send US Auto Manufacturing to Mexico is the person I’d want leading my discussions. Unless, I really wanted to move to Mexico too…
That’s the precise reason they hired him. The “Volks is like, “You guys got totally a$$ reamed….what do we need to do to avoid that?”
Beyond sick of the crybaby UAW! Just a bunch of snowflakes, sniffing brats