Historic Victory: Chattanooga Volkswagen Employees Choose Union Membership

The vote, which needs to be verified, is United Auto Workers’ first effectively conducted automaker-outside-of-the-Big Three organizing campaign.

TFD – Witness a historic victory as Chattanooga Volkswagen employees overwhelmingly choose union membership, marking a significant milestone for labor unions outside Detroit’s Big Three automakers. This achievement sets a strong precedent for future organizing campaigns in the automotive industry and empowers workers in the Southern region. Explore the impact, challenges, and next steps in this monumental labor union success.

Late on Friday, the United Auto Workers announced that Chattanooga, Tennessee, Volkswagen employees had overwhelmingly chosen to become union members. This is a significant victory for the labor union and the first time it has successfully organized a manufacturer other than Detroit’s Big Three.

73% of workers, or 2,628 workers, voted in favor of union organizing, according to the National Labor Relations Board, which conducted the election. Approximately 3,620, or 84%, of the 4,326 VW employees who were entitled to vote cast ballots, according to the NLRB. Three ballots were declared invalid after seven were contested.

The union declared in a release on Friday night, “In a historic victory, an overwhelming majority of Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tennessee, have voted to join the UAW,” prior to the National Labor Relations Board, or NLRB, releasing official results. The results are in: Chattanooga Volkswagen workers are the first Southern autoworkers outside of the Big Three to win their union, even though the votes are still being counted.”

The business must negotiate in good faith with the union, barring any unforeseen problems or difficulties, but the NLRB still needs to certify the outcome. The discussions may begin directly or via a mediator.

The NLRB states that the parties have five business days to submit their objections to the election. The outcome will be certified if there are no objections raised.

Volkswagen sent a statement on Friday night confirming the UAW’s victory, but it didn’t say much more.

“We will wait for the NLRB to certify the results,” the business stated. VW expresses gratitude to its Chattanooga employees for casting ballots in this election.

The victory is anticipated to serve as a springboard for UAW officials and supporters as they continue their historic drive to organize 13 automakers in the United States in the wake of significant contract victories with General Motors, Ford Motor, and Chrysler parent Stellantis last year.

With a strong history of backing organized labor and the UAW, President Joe Biden commended the union on its “historic vote.”

“Union members, including auto workers, actresses, port workers, Teamsters, writers, warehouse and healthcare workers, and more, have achieved significant victories and significant raises across the nation. In an announcement, Biden stated, “Together, these union victories have contributed to wage increases and have once again shown that the middle class built America and that unions are still building and expanding the middle class for all workers.”

In light of the strikes and record contracts at the Detroit automakers, UAW President Shawn Fain and others believed that this week’s ballot represented the union’s greatest chance to organize the Volkswagen plant. Significant pay increases, the return of cost-of-living adjustments, and other benefits were included in those accords.

The successful organizing drive comes days after six Republican governors of Southern states, including Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, released a joint statement condemning the UAW’s push to organize in their states.

“We have devoted many hours to bringing well-paying jobs to our states on behalf of our constituents. These positions are now a necessary component of the automotive manufacturing sector. Unionization would undoubtedly jeopardize jobs in our states; in fact, all UAW automakers have already declared layoffs this year, according to the statement.

Previous attempts by the UAW to organize the Volkswagen plant in 2014 and 2019 were unsuccessful due to increased resistance from employees and external political pressure. Five years ago, by a narrow margin of 833 to 776 ballots, workers rejected union membership.

The union’s next goal is to negotiate a deal with VW. Additionally, it will take a look at the anticipated organizing vote of Mercedes-Benz employees at the Vance, Alabama, SUV plant.

Employees at the plant submitted NLRB papers earlier this month in order to officially run for UAW membership. The NLRB said on Thursday that the 5,200 workers will be voting from May 13 to May 17.

Last month, Fain addressed Mercedes-Benz employees, “Believing that you can win is the first thing you need to do to win.” That this work has room for improvement. that you can have a better life. and that pursuing such goals is worthwhile. That is why we stand up. You’re here today for that reason. because you secretly think it’s feasible.

When its four-and-a-half-year contracts with the Detroit automakers expire in 2028, Fain had previously pledged to go beyond the Big Three and reach the “Big Five or Big Six.”