UAW Secures Major Victory at Volkswagen Plant in Tennessee

Workers at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee have voted in favor of representation by the United Auto Workers (UAW), a significant milestone as it represents the first successful unionization effort at a foreign-owned automaker in the Southern United States. The National Labor Relations Board confirmed that out of the eligible voters, 73%, or 2,628 workers, cast their ballots in support of joining the UAW, while 985 voted against.

This triumph is particularly notable given the UAW's historical presence primarily within Detroit's Big Three automakers—Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis—and marks a substantial expansion of union influence into the South and West regions of the country. The vote is seen as a pivotal success for the UAW's broader campaign to unionize facilities operated by more than a dozen automakers across the United States, including Tesla. UAW President Shawn Fain has committed $40 million through 2026 to support these unionization efforts.

Following the successful vote, Volkswagen is now obliged to negotiate in good faith with the union. The victory comes after two previous attempts to unionize the Chattanooga plant were unsuccessful, in 2014 and 2019, amid external political pressure and worker opposition. This outcome also arrives against the backdrop of six Republican governors from Southern states expressing concerns that unionization could impact job prospects in their regions. The UAW is set to continue its campaign, with a Mercedes plant in Alabama scheduled to hold the next union election.