In a groundbreaking win for organized labor, workers at a Volkswagen plant in Tennessee have decisively voted to join the United Automobile Workers union, making it the first nonunion auto plant in a Southern state to do so.
In a late Friday statement, the company announced that the union received 2,628 votes in favor and 985 opposed during the three-day election. Previous attempts by the U.A.W. to organize the Chattanooga factory were narrowly defeated in the past 10 years.
This outcome marks a significant milestone for the labor movement in a region where anti-union sentiments have been prevalent for many years. It comes on the heels of the U.A.W. securing unprecedented wage increases and improved benefits in negotiations with Detroit automakers.
For over 80 years, the U.A.W. has represented workers at General Motors, Ford Motor, and Stellantis, as well as organized some heavy-truck and bus factories in the South.
Despite previous unsuccessful attempts, the U.A.W. will now focus on organizing other Southern plants. A vote is scheduled for mid-May at a Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance, Ala., near Tuscaloosa, with plans to organize several more plants over the next two years.
A series of victories for the U.A.W. could have far-reaching effects for Southern auto workers and the broader auto industry. Nonunion auto workers typically earn lower wages than those in U.A.W.-represented plants, and collective bargaining could lead to significant pay raises, improved benefits, and job security.
“Volkswagen workers will have the opportunity for better pay and working conditions under a collective bargaining agreement,” said Arthur Wheaton, director of labor studies at Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations. “They will have job protections under a union contract that they currently lack.”
At G.M., Ford, and Stellantis, layoffs require advance notice to the union, and workers receive supplemented unemployment benefits. Nonunion plants do not have these protections.
A significant U.A.W. presence in the South could disrupt an automotive landscape where U.A.W. contracts have resulted in higher labor costs for G.M., Ford, and Stellantis compared to nonunion competitors like Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Tesla, and Hyundai.
“This is a pivotal moment for the industry,” said Harley Shaiken, a professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. “It sets an example that could resonate throughout the industry and other sectors with a large nonunion workforce.”
The U.A.W.’s success in negotiations with the Big Three last fall sparked increased interest among Southern autoworkers in organizing their plants, leading the U.A.W. to launch a $40 million effort to support them.
Volkswagen workers supporting U.A.W. representation hope for higher wages and more paid time off. The Chattanooga factory currently pays a top wage of around $35 an hour, lower than the top wage of over $40 an hour at G.M., Ford, and Stellantis.
U.A.W. contracts also provide comprehensive health care coverage, substantial profit-sharing bonuses, cost-of-living adjustments, and generous retirement programs.
Among the U.A.W. supporters in Chattanooga was Tony Akridge, 48, who hopes the union can improve workers’ living standards. He believes the union can bring better benefits and make life a bit easier amidst rising living costs.
Others are looking to U.A.W. representation for more paid time off. Many VW workers must use paid time off during plant shutdowns, leaving them with limited time for sick days or family leave.
At G.M., Ford, and Stellantis, U.A.W. workers enjoy up to five weeks of vacation, 19 paid holidays, and two weeks for parental leave.
Workers who opposed the union at VW expressed uncertainty about the gains the U.A.W. could bring them.
Some VW workers who voted against the U.A.W. do not believe union representation would endanger the Chattanooga plant.
The Chattanooga plant, opened in 2011, employs 5,500 people, with about 4,300 eligible to vote in the union election. It produces the VW Atlas and the ID.4, making it Volkswagen’s only nonunionized plant worldwide.
The U.A.W. had an advantage in winning support at Volkswagen, with the backing of IG Metall and German companies’ tradition of worker representation.
The U.A.W. now shifts its focus to the Mercedes plant in Alabama, which employs around 6,100 people.
Jamie McGee contributed reporting.
