UAW Gains Organizing Victory in the South

The United Auto Workers’ (UAW’s) goal of expanding union organizing in the South was realized April 19 when it won an organizing drive at a Volkswagen (VW) plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. We’ve gathered articles on the news from SHRM Online and other outlets.

A First in the South

The plant will be the first unionized auto factory in the South not owned by one of Detroit’s Big Three automakers. The UAW won overwhelmingly, with 2,628 votes for unionization and 985 opposed. The union had failed in previous attempts to organize any of the two dozen automobile factories owned by other companies across an area stretching from South Carolina to Texas and as far north as Ohio and Indiana. The UAW is planning to try to organize a half dozen or more plants over the next two years.

Workers who voted in favor of union representation said they hoped the union would help them win higher wages and more paid time off. The UAW contracts also provide health care coverage, substantial profit-sharing bonuses, cost-of-living adjustments and generous retirement programs.

(The New York Times)

Prior Unionization Attempts Failed

The outcome is a big win for the UAW, which had twice previously failed to unionize the Chattanooga facility and faced an uphill climb organizing workers in the South. The win follows a six-week strike last fall against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis that led to major wage gains. Those gains were predicted to be a springboard for more union organizing.

The Chattanooga plant is VW’s sole facility of about 120 globally that did not previously have some form of employee representation. 

(CBS News and SHRM Online)

Other Unionizing Drives Planned

The UAW has announced an effort to represent workers at nine other foreign automakers with U.S. plants—BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Mercedes, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota and Volvo. It has already filed to have another election at a Mercedes plant in Vance, Ala., outside of Tuscaloosa. That vote is set to take place next month and conclude on May 17.

VW once before had a U.S. plant where workers were represented by the UAW. That plant, which was in Pennsylvania, closed in 1988 due to weak sales. 

(CNN)

Gubernatorial Opposition

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) on April 16 joined governors from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas in a joint statement speaking out against the union drive. “The reality is companies have a choice when it comes to where to invest and bring jobs and opportunity,” the statement said. “Unionization would certainly put our states’ jobs in jeopardy—in fact, in this year already, all of the UAW automakers have announced layoffs.” Tesla, which is not unionized, also recently announced layoffs.

Noting voter turnout of 83.5 percent, VW issued a statement saying: “Volkswagen thanks its Chattanooga workers for voting in this election.”

(NPR)