Workers at Volkswagen’s Tennessee plant voted overwhelmingly in favor of joining the United Auto Workers (UAW) union last week, following months of campaigning at the facility.
Roughly 4,000 employees work at the Chattanooga factory, which had refused to join the UAW on two prior occasions before the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 80% of those staff members participated in last week’s vote, of which 73% said yes to unionization. Only 27% of ballots were cast against joining the UAW.
The National Labor Relations Board oversaw the voting process, which began on Wednesday, April 17, and concluded on Friday, April 19. Volkswagen confirmed the results in a brief press release, thanking the workers for participating in the election.
Just days before Volkswagen employees were set to decide whether to join the UAW, governors from across the South issued a joint statement urging residents to resist unionization. The leaders argued that unions would result in job cuts, citing layoffs at Detroit-Three automakers following last year’s UAW strike, and deter businesses from opening sites in southern states.
Car manufacturers, especially imports, have constructed numerous facilities in states such as Georgia and Texas, where right-to-work laws and anti-union sentiment have historically prevented organized labor from forming.
Nevertheless, its victory at Volkswagen is expected to give the UAW a sizable boost in legitimacy as it prepares for another upcoming vote in Alabama, this time at a Mercedes-Benz factory representing roughly 5,200 workers. That election is scheduled to begin May 13.
