In a historic victory, employees at Volkswagen’s SUV assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, have voted to join the United Auto Workers union. The preliminary tally released by the company showed that workers favored union representation by a count of 2,628 to 985, a nearly 3-1 margin. This win gives the UAW a crucial toehold in the anti-union South, as more than 4,000 workers at the facility will be represented by the union. The UAW, which has most of its auto membership at Ford, General Motors, and Jeep parent company Stellantis, called it a “historic breakthrough” in a statement.
This victory is significant as the UAW has struggled for years to organize foreign-owned auto plants in the South. The union, buoyed by its strike against the Big Three automakers last year, has plans to unionize more plants in Southern states, including Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai facilities in Alabama. The stakes are high for both the union and the industry as automakers have increasingly set up operations in the South, where unions tend to be weaker and wages lower than in the Midwest. A successful organizing effort could help push up wages and benefits for workers at non-union facilities while giving the UAW more leverage in the industry.
Many workers at the Volkswagen plant supported the organizing effort due to the grueling work pace in the factory and hopes for improved paid time off, pay rates, and recourse against supervisor discipline through a union contract. Volkswagen defended its wages and safety record as better than the industry average and said it was providing neutral information to workers about the election. The UAW’s contracts with Ford, GM, and Stellantis played a role in swaying some Volkswagen workers, as wages at the plant are considered good for the area but can be further improved with union representation. Several non-union automakers, including Volkswagen, quickly raised pay after the UAW settled contracts with the Big Three.
Despite some Republican politicians urging Volkswagen workers to reject the union, the workers voted in favor of joining the UAW. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee warned that unionizing could lead to the plant’s closure, while U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty claimed workers’ liberties and freedoms were at stake in the vote. President Joe Biden congratulated the workers and the UAW on their victory, criticizing the Republican governors who discouraged workers from voting in favor of the union. Workers at Volkswagen felt less fearful of potential repercussions this time due to the plant’s investment in Tennessee and their belief in the campaign’s success, marking a significant moment in the labor movement.
