The United Auto Workers (UAW) have achieved a historic victory as workers at the Volkswagen auto plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee overwhelmingly voted to come under union representation. This marks the first time a foreign-owned, U.S. plant has chosen to join the union. The final tally reported by the National Labor Relations Board revealed 2,628 yes votes and 985 no votes, with a total of 4,326 workers eligible to vote in the balloting that took place over three days. Volkswagen has thanked its Chattanooga workers for participating in the election and confirmed the outcome of the vote.
President Joe Biden issued a statement congratulating the Volkswagen workers on their decision to join the UAW. He called out the six Republican governors who attempted to dissuade the workers from voting in favor of the union. The president emphasized that there is nothing to fear from American workers using their voice and legal right to form a union if they choose to do so. The next steps for the UAW representation to become official at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga involve beginning negotiations for a first contract with the union. Volkswagen must bargain in good faith with the union, and there will be a five-day period to file objections before the result is certified.
The UAW victory at the Volkswagen plant comes as a significant boost for the union, which has seen a decline in membership over recent years. The UAW membership dropped to 370,239 last year, the lowest since 2009, according to the union’s annual report filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Despite the challenges faced by the UAW, this win at the Volkswagen plant is a step in the right direction. The union will have only a short celebration before focusing on the upcoming vote for 5,000 workers at two Mercedes-Benz plants in Alabama on whether to join the union, scheduled for May 13-17.
The success at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga is seen as a defining moment for workers in the South and the rest of the country. Brenda Muñoz, University of California-Berkeley labor center co-chair, emphasized that foreign auto manufacturers can no longer rely on southern states for cheap labor at the expense of working families. Workers are demanding respect, fair wages, and a quality life, as demonstrated by their decision to vote for a union. This victory sets a standard for future negotiations with other companies in the auto industry, as the UAW aims to expand its reach beyond the Detroit Three to potentially include other automakers with non-union workers.
The UAW’s focus now turns to negotiating the first contract with Volkswagen at the Chattanooga plant, which UAW President Shawn Fain acknowledged as a crucial step in the process. Fain highlighted the importance of setting a standard in the industry through collective bargaining agreements that prioritize the rights and benefits of workers. The outcome of this vote at Volkswagen, along with the upcoming vote at the Mercedes-Benz plants in Alabama, signals a shift in the landscape of labor relations in the auto industry, with workers increasingly asserting their rights and demanding fair treatment in the workplace. The success in Chattanooga could pave the way for further unionization efforts in the South and beyond, as workers seek to secure better working conditions and job security in the automotive sector.
