AP – More than 1,000 workers at Volkswagen’s (VW) Tennessee factory have signed cards authorising a vote on representation by the United Auto Workers (UAW), the first plant in the nation to reach that milestone in the UAW’s quest to organise more than a dozen nonunion factories in the United States (US).
The union said in a statement 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 sport utility vehicles (SUVs)
It could become the first test of the union’s strategy to simultaneously try to organise the nonunion plants.
The UAW statement said workers have complained about mistreatment by management including mandatory overtime on Saturdays, and they are seeking higher pay.
In November, VW gave workers an 11 per ceny 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 per cent pay raises by the time the contracts end in April of 2028.
With cost-of-living increases, workers will see about 33 per cent in raises for a top assembly wage of USD42 per hour, plus annual profit sharing, the union said.
Less than two weeks after ratifying new contracts with Detroit automakers, the UAW announced plans to try to simultaneously organise workers at the nonunion plants, most owned by foreign-based automakers.
