Workers at a Volkswagen plant in Tennessee have made history by voting to join the United Automobile Workers union, marking the first time a nonunion auto plant in a Southern state has done so. The U.A.W. won the election with 2,628 votes in favor and 985 opposed, after failing in two previous attempts to organize the Chattanooga factory over the last decade. This victory is seen as a breakthrough for organized labor in a region where anti-union sentiment has been strong for years.
The U.A.W. has represented workers at major auto companies such as General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis for over 80 years, but has struggled to organize factories owned by other companies in the Southern states. With the success in Chattanooga, the U.A.W. plans to focus on organizing other Southern plants, starting with a vote at a Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama in May. The hope is to organize several more plants in the next two years to secure better wages, benefits, and job security for workers.
The Volkswagen workers who voted in favor of union representation are looking for higher wages, more paid time off, and better job protections. U.A.W. contracts typically provide benefits such as health care coverage paid for by the companies, profit-sharing bonuses, cost-of-living adjustments, and retirement programs. Workers at nonunion plants do not have the same level of protections and benefits that U.A.W. members receive.
The success of the U.A.W. in the negotiations with the Big Three automakers last fall has sparked interest among Southern autoworkers in organizing their own plants, leading to a surge in support for the union. A large U.A.W. presence in the South could have significant effects on the auto industry, potentially raising labor costs for companies like G.M., Ford, and Stellantis in comparison to nonunion rivals. The U.A.W. hopes to set an example that will resonate across the industry and other sectors with a large presence of nonunion workers.
Despite opposition from some VW workers who were unsure of the gains the U.A.W. could bring them, the majority see union representation as an opportunity to improve their living standards and working conditions. Many workers face challenges such as having to use paid time off for plant shutdowns and holidays, leaving them with limited days for sick leave or family time. The U.A.W. offers benefits such as up to five weeks of vacation, paid holidays, and parental leave for its members.
The governor of several Southern states, all Republicans, expressed concerns about unionizing the auto industry in their states, fearing it could jeopardize jobs. However, even some workers who opposed the U.A.W. at VW did not believe that union representation would lead to the plant leaving Chattanooga or the South. The Chattanooga plant is significant for Volkswagen as their only plant in the U.S., and the only one worldwide that was not unionized before the vote. The U.A.W. will now focus on organizing the Mercedes plant in Alabama, with the support of workers and labor advocates.
