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A union said Thursday that Volkswagen isn’t hiring enough local workers in building the automaker’s Chattanooga assembly plant, a charge the company denied.

Tom Owens, director of marketing and communications for the AFL-CIO’s building and construction trades department in Washington, D.C., said in an e-mail that many construction contracts are being awarded to out-of-state contractors bringing their own work forces.

He said out-of-state workers are “displacing Tennessee skilled craft workers who would like nothing more that an opportunity to work on the VW plant’s construction.”

Mr. Owens also said “a significant number” of workers on the construction site are illegal immigrants. “Some of our folks out on the job tell us that many of the Hispanic workers are using Mexican drivers licenses as ID,” Mr. Owens said.

However, VW spokeswoman April Wortham said the automaker is committed to working with local companies.

She said that as of Thursday, the amount of contracts awarded to Tennessee or Chattanooga area companies is $437.1 million.

“One of the reasons that Volkswagen chose Chattanooga is the availability of a well-qualified local work force,” she said. “We do not discriminate against local companies who may employ workers from the local labor shed, which naturally includes neighboring states such as Alabama and Georgia.”

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WTPOA take: Surprise, surprise….NOT. Many citizens already suspected that illegal alien labor would be used to construct the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga. It is extremely sad to see thousands of citizen workers in Tennessee and the surrounding area not have the opportunity to hold these jobs, pay their mortgages, support their families, and live their American dream. Bradley County is known to have contractors and builders that use illegal alien labor, leaving qualified local construction workers without jobs, and forced to seek food stamps and other assistance to live in Cleveland and elsewhere. The city of Cleveland,TN and the County of Bradley ignore the fact that illegal aliens take the jobs of American citizens and burden the County with millions in services. The school system alone is being overwhelmed with families of illegal aliens. The Bradley County Health Department and the Social Security office lobbies are filled with those who are suspected of being illegally present. The Social Security office has printed material in Spanish available to the thousands of illegal aliens and others now taking from the American taxpayer. They also receive aid from local government programs due to low wages.