Kelcey Smith displays UAW buttons in Chattanooga, Tennessee on April 10, 2024.
Kevin Wurm | Washington Post | beautiful images
Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tennessee, voted overwhelmingly to join the United Auto Workers — marking a major milestone for the union and the first successful organizing effort by an automaker outside the Big Three of Detroit.
According to the National Labor Relations Board, which oversaw the election, unionization passed with 73% of the vote, or 2,628 workers, in favor of the UAW. A total of about 3,620, or about 84%, of the 4,326 eligible VW workers voted in the election, the NLRB said. Seven ballots were challenged and three others were invalidated.
“In a historic victory, the vast majority of Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tennessee, voted to join the UAW,” the union said. said in a release Friday night before official results are announced by the NLRB. “As the votes continue to be counted, the result is clear: Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga are the first Southern autoworkers outside of the Big Three to win their union.”
The NLRB must still certify the results, but absent any unexpected problems or challenges, the company must negotiate in good faith with the union. Negotiations can be direct or go first through a mediator.
According to the NLRB, parties have five business days to file objections to the election. If no objections are filed, the results will be certified.
VW confirmed the UAW's win in a release Friday night but offered little additional comment.
“We will wait for the NLRB to certify the results,” the company said. “Volkswagen thanks Chattanooga workers for voting in this election.”
UAW leaders and supporters are expected to use the victory as a starting point for the union's unprecedented organizing drive campaign of 13 automobile companies in the US after winning major contracts last year with General Motors, Ford Motor and Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler.
President Joe Biden, a strong supporter of organized labor and the UAW, congratulated the union on its “historic vote.”
“Across the country, union members have achieved big wins and big wage increases, including autoworkers, actors, dock workers, Teamsters, writers, warehouse workers and health care workers. health, etc. Together, these union victories helped raise wages and proved once again that the middle class built America and unions are still building and expanding the middle class for all workers,” Biden said in a statement.
In this aerial photo, a Volkswagen auto assembly plant is seen on March 20, 2024 in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Elijah Novel | beautiful images
UAW President Shawn Fain and others see this week's vote as the union's The best opportunity to organize VW factory after strikes and record contracts at Detroit automakers. Those agreements include significant pay increases, restored cost-of-living adjustments and other benefits.
The successful organizing effort comes days after six Republican governors of Southern states, including Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, issued a joint statement condemned the UAW's push to organize in their state.
“We have worked tirelessly on behalf of our constituents to bring good-paying jobs to our states. These jobs have become part of the fabric of the auto manufacturing industry . Unionization would certainly put jobs in our states in jeopardy – in fact, in this case last year, all the UAW automakers announced layoffs,” declare speak.
The UAW previously failed to organize the Volkswagen plant in 2014 and 2019 as the plant faced greater outside political pressure and worker protests. Workers rejected union membership by just 833 to 776 votes five years ago.
UAW President Shawn Fain greets members attending a rally in support of the labor union strike at the UAW Local 551 hall on the South Side on October 7, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.
Jim Vondruska | beautiful images
The union will now aim to negotiate with VW. It will also consider one voting is expected to be held of Mercedes-Benz workers at an SUV plant in Vance, Alabama.
Workers at the facility earlier this month filed NLRB paperwork seeking a formal election to join the UAW. The NLRB announced Thursday that the vote for 5,200 workers will take place from May 13 to May 17.
“The first thing you need to do to win is believe that you can win” Fain told Mercedes-Benz workers last month. “That this job can be better. That your life can be better. And that those things are worth fighting for. That's why we stand up. That's why you're here here today. Because deep down, you believe it's possible.”
Fain has previously vowed to go beyond the Big Three and expand “Big five or big six” by the time the 4½-year contract with the Detroit automakers expires in 2028.
