UAW says over 1,000 workers at VW plant in Tennessee have signed cards seeking union representation
More than 1,000 workers at Volkswagen’s Tennessee factory have signed cards authorizing a vote to be represented by the United Auto Workers union
DETROIT — More than 1,000 workers at Volkswagen's Tennessee factory have signed cards authorizing a vote on representation by the United Auto Workers, the first plant in the nation to reach that milestone in the UAW's quest to organize more than a dozen nonunion factories.
The union says in a statement Thursday that the VW workers signed on in less than a week.
The factory in Chattanooga employs about 3,800 people who make the VW ID.4 electric vehicle and the Atlas family of gas-powered SUVs. It could become the first test of the union's strategy to simultaneously try to organize the nonunion plants.
The UAW statement says workers have complained about mistreatment by management including mandatory overtime on Saturdays, and they are seeking higher pay. A message was left Thursday seeking comment from VW.
In November, VW gave workers an 11% pay raise at the plant. The raises came after UAW members ratified new contracts with Detroit automakers. The union says VW's pay lags behind what workers make at UAW-represented auto plants.
The UAW pacts with General Motors, Ford and Jeep maker Stellantis include 25% pay raises by the time the contracts end in April of 2028. With cost-of-living increases, workers will see about 33% in raises for a top assembly wage of $42 per hour, plus annual profit sharing, the union said.
In close votes in 2014 and 2019, workers at Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant twice rejected a factory-wide union under the UAW. Some prominent Tennessee Republican politicians had urged workers to vote against the union during both campaigns.
The year after the 2014
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