Tennessee VW workers to vote on union in April

Employees at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant will vote on unionization next month after a supermajority of workers signed union cards with the United Auto Workers.

The National Labor Relations Board will oversee the secret ballot election April 17-19, the union announced Tuesday. Over 4,000 workers could vote to unionize VW’s only U.S. plant.

“We’re voting yes to win a better life for ourselves and our families,” VW assembly worker Isaac Meadows said in a UAW statement. “We need a say in our schedules, benefits, pay and more. We’re proud to work at Volkswagen, but we also know the value of a voice at work.”

The upcoming union vote is the first test of the UAW’s effort to unionize nonunion shops in the U.S. The giant union has seen significant support among workers at Mercedes’ plant in Vance, Alabama; Hyundai in Montgomery, Alabama; and Toyota in Troy, Missouri.

Dozens of facilities at other nonunionized automakers have begun their unionization efforts but haven’t found strong enough footholds to catch the UAW’s attention.