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Workers at Volkswagen’s (VW) Chattanooga, Tennessee’s plant are going to vote on unionizing under the United Auto Workers (UAW), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) said Monday.
Why it matters: If the workers vote in favor, the factory will be the only non-Detroit Three automotive assembly plant in the US to be unionized.
Driving the news: Scheduled for April 17-19, 4,300 full-time and part-time production and maintenance workers will vote, per the NLRB.
- Ballots will be counted starting at 8pm on April 19, with results available in a few hours.
What they’re saying: "The movement was inspired by the record contracts UAW members won during last year’s Stand Up Strike against the Big Three auto companies," the UAW wrote in a statement.
- VW spokesman Michael Lowder said the company respected worker rights: "We respect our workers' right to a democratic process and to determine who should represent their interests”.
Flashback: The UAW has tried organizing the VW Chattanooga plant twice previously - in 2014 and 2019 - and lost both times by a narrow margin.
- But the UAW enters this vote buoyed by record contracts with General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis.
- For comparison, VW’s hourly wages are lower than those the UAW negotiated with the Detroit Big Three.
What’s next: The outcome of the vote will influence the UAW’s efforts to organize other automakers including Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, and Toyota.
