Historic victory: Volkswagen’s US plant gets union representation

The union got 73 percent of the votes. Once the findings are officially approved by the state agency NLRB, Volkswagen must begin collective bargaining over wages and employment conditions.

The UAW currently represents about 370,000 auto workers in the United States, down from 1.5 million workers in the 1970s. The union is finding it difficult to gain ground, especially in the southern United States. Previous attempts to install union representation at VW in Chattanooga have failed twice. The American plant was the only Volkswagen factory where workers were not represented.

US President Joe Biden congratulated VW employees and described the vote as “historic”. “This confirms the increase in the power of trade unions in the past year,” he said. After a week-long strike at General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, the United Auto Workers was able to demand higher wages and better working conditions last year.

The UAW now hopes to gain representation in more industries. “Volkswagen is the first domino to fall, I think this will start the impact,” said chairman Shawn Fain. A vote is scheduled for May at a Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama, where management is strongly opposed to a union. The UAW has also not yet succeeded in gaining representation at Tesla.