UAW Files for Union Election at VW’s Chattanooga, Tennessee, Plant

The United Autoworkers is moving ahead with a new attempt to unionize Volkswagen Group's Chattanooga, Tennessee plant. Three months after announcing the beginning of a card-signing campaign, the UAW filed with the NLRB to hold a new election at the plant.

In a statement released the same day as the Chattanooga filing, the UAW claimed to already have signed union cards from at least 3,000 workers at the 4,000-worker plant. In a video release, union activists at the plant called for workers to support the union to improve vacation benefits, safety, and bargaining rights.

“By winning our union and a real voice at Volkswagen, we can negotiate for more time with our families,” said Isaac Meadows, a production team member who appears in the video.

In a statement released in December after the UAW’s initial announcement on card-signing at the factory, Volkswagen Group of America noted it had recently increased pay and generally supports its workers’ right to “determine who should represent their interests in the workplace.”