Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) has stated his belief that workers at a Chattanooga Volkswagen plant made a “mistake” by voting to unionize under the United Auto Workers (UAW). However, he acknowledged that the decision was ultimately up to the workers.
Ahead of the vote, Lee and five other Southern Republican governors had publicly opposed the UAW’s drive to organize workers at factories in the region, arguing that unionization could threaten jobs. Despite their efforts, the UAW secured a decisive 73% of the vote at the Volkswagen plant, which had narrowly rejected the union in previous elections in 2019 and 2014.
The Volkswagen plant vote is significant as it marks the first union win at a Southern assembly plant owned by a foreign automaker. President Biden has praised the success of unions in securing better contracts for workers, including autoworkers, Hollywood actors and writers, and others. He has condemned the efforts by Lee and other Republican governors to discourage unionization, stating that there is “nothing to fear” from American workers exercising their right to form unions.
Workers at Mercedes factories near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, are scheduled to vote on UAW representation in May. The outcome of this vote will be closely watched as the UAW continues its campaign to organize workers in the South.
