Volkswagen workers at the company's Chattanooga, Tennessee plant have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board for a vote to join the United Auto Workers (UAW). The filing comes after a "supermajority of Volkswagen workers have signed union cards in just 100 days," according to the UAW, marking a major milestone in the labor group's ongoing efforts to organize non-unionized auto plants in the United States.
The Chattanooga plant, which is Volkswagen's only U.S. assembly plant and employs over 4,000 autoworkers, has been a key target for the UAW in recent years. In 2019, workers at the plant rejected union representation in an 833-776 vote, but the union has persisted in its efforts to secure a foothold in the facility.
Isaac Meadows, a production team member in assembly at the Volkswagen plant, expressed his support for the union drive, stating, "Today, we are one step closer to making a good job at Volkswagen into a great career. Right now, we miss time with our families because so much of our paid-time-off is burned up during the summer and winter shutdowns. We shouldn't have to choose between our family and our job. By winning our union and a real voice at Volkswagen, we can negotiate for more time with our families."
The UAW's organizing drive at the Chattanooga plant is part of a broader campaign aimed at organizing 150,000 workers at non-unionized auto plants in the U.S., including those operated by BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Lucid, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Rivian, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo. The union has set its sights on these facilities in the wake of securing record contracts with the Detroit automakers last year.
The Chattanooga plant is currently the only Volkswagen plant globally without union representation, according to the UAW. The union has filed unfair labor practice charges against Volkswagen amidst the organizing campaign over claims of union-busting, which the company has denied.
The UAW has also announced organizing milestones at other plants, including reaching a 50% majority of union support at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama, 30% support at a Hyundai plant in Alabama, and 30% at a Toyota plant in Missouri. The union has committed $40 million toward organizing auto and battery workers over the next two years.
Previous attempts by the UAW to organize the Chattanooga plant in 2014 and 2019 fell short after a surge of opposition from anti-union organizations and Republican elected officials. Similar efforts have already begun during the current campaign at the plant.
Zach Costello, a worker at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga since 2017, told The Guardian in January, "As it stands, we don't really have a whole lot of freedom at work, we don't have a whole lot of say on how things are done and how things go on. Our lives are at work and if our lives spend so much time at work and we have no say, then how free are you? If people truly want a democratic life, regardless of how good their job is, worker organization is very important."
As the union election process moves forward, the UAW and Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga are likely to face continued opposition from anti-union groups and political figures. However, the union remains committed to its organizing drive, viewing it as a crucial step in securing better representation and working conditions for autoworkers across the United States.
