Volkswagen employees in Chattanooga, Tennessee filed a petition with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Monday to hold a union election to join the United Auto Workers (UAW).
Workers say they want better safety provisions and more paid time off, among other provisions.
“Volkswagen has spent billions of dollars expanding in Chattanooga, but right now safety is a major issue in our plant,” said one employee, Victor Vaughn, in a video released by the UAW. “Just the other day, I was almost hit by four 500-plus pound crates while I was driving to deliver parts. That incident should’ve been followed up within the hour, but even after I clocked out, no one asked me about it.”
The company said it “respect[s] our workers’ right to a democratic process and to determine who should represent their interests” in a statement. It added that it will “fully support an NLRB vote” and “is proud of our working environment in Chattanooga that provides some of the best paying jobs in the area.”
Making good on promises
Volkswagen is among 14 auto companies with plants across the U.S. that have been the focus of the UAW’s recent push to organize non-unionized workplaces. The group of companies includes Subaru, Tesla, Nissan, Mercedes, and Hyundai, among others. More than 30% of Hyundai workers in Montgomery, Alabama and Mercedes employees in the nearby city of Vance have signed union cards in recent weeks — a sign that petitions to hold union votes at those plants could be filed soon, too. Last month, the UAW announced $40 million in funding to organize non-union workers in the auto and battery industry.
Unionization is on the up-and-up after a long losing streak. The number of striking workers rose 141% in 2023, with auto workers leading the charge. Meanwhile, last year the UAW won big concessions in new labor contracts with Big Three U.S. automakers — Ford, Stellantis, and General Motors — after a six-week standoff.
The UAW goes international
Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant is the German company’s only U.S. production facility — and the only one across the globe without union representation. Two past union elections failed at the plant, with workers voting against joining the UAW. If employees vote to join the UAW this time, Volkswagen would be the first foreign car manufacturer to have its workers unionize.
The company is also one of many currently under investigation by the NLRB for unfair labor practices. Volkswagen faces 6 charges that it restricted discussion of unionization and distribution of union materials, maintained unlawful work rules, and prohibited display of union paraphernalia, according to the federal agency.