New York
CNN
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The United Auto Staff union claimed victory in a intently watched election to characterize 4,300 hourly staff at Volkswagen’s plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee late Friday evening, a significant breakthrough in its effort to prepare staff at non-union auto crops nationwide.
The counting of votes by the Nationwide Labor Relations Board proceed as of 10:30 pm ET Friday, however the UAW mentioned the 73% of the votes counted to this point in favor of the union meant that it was assured of victory.
“This election is huge,” mentioned Kelcey Smith, a employee within the paint division at Volkswagen, in a UAW assertion. “That is the time; that is the place. Southern staff are prepared to face up and win a greater life.”
There are roughly 150,000 staff at nonunion auto crops in the US right this moment, roughly the identical quantity as on the American crops of the three unionized automakers – General Motors, Ford and Stellantis. If the union can win the fitting to characterize staff throughout the broad swath of the nonunion auto crops, it may improve their leverage in future contract negotiations.
The UAW’s victory may additionally present a high-profile beachhead for unions in Southern states, which have a a lot decrease stage of union illustration amongst staff than in Northern industrial states. Many of the nonunion auto crops are unfold throughout the south.
The union has introduced an effort to characterize staff at not solely Volkswagen, but in addition nine other foreign automakers with American crops – BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Mercedes, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota and Volvo. It has already filed to have one other election on the Mercedes plant in Vance, Alabama, simply outdoors of Tuscaloosa. That vote is about to happen subsequent month and be concluded on Could 17.
Additionally it is looking for to characterize staff at three American automakers making electrical autos – Tesla, Rivian and Lucid. Nevertheless it has but to file to carry votes at these American EV makers or on the American crops of the eight international automakers apart from Volkswagen and Mercedes.
In contrast to many employers who conduct campaigns in opposition to union membership when confronted with an organizing effort, Volkswagen had remained impartial on this marketing campaign.
The union’s organizing efforts observe a six-week strike in opposition to the three unionized automakers final fall, which received record pay increases for UAW members on the three corporations. They acquired speedy raises of no less than 11% and pay will increase totaling greater than 30% over the lifetime of the contract, which runs via April of 2028.
Most of the nonunion automakers, together with Volkswagen, gave their staff related raises within the wake of the UAW contracts. However the staff on the nonunion crops typically earn lower than their counterparts on the unionized automakers.
The typical employee in Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant makes about $60,000 a 12 months earlier than bonuses and advantages, in line with the corporate. Manufacturing staff working beneath the current UAW contract now make about $36 an hour, or about $75,000 a 12 months earlier than extra time, bonuses and advantages.
However the union’s effort had been opposed by a coalition of six southern Republican governors who’ve nonunion auto crops of their states.
The six, together with Tennessee Gov. Invoice Lee in addition to the governors of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas, signed a letter this week arguing these nonunion jobs could be in danger if the union received Friday’s vote.
“The truth is corporations have selections in terms of the place to take a position and produce jobs and alternative. Now we have labored tirelessly on behalf of our constituents to convey good-paying jobs to our states,” mentioned the letter. “Unionization will surely put our states’ jobs in jeopardy.”
Volkswagen as soon as earlier than had had an American plant the place staff have been represented by the UAW, in Pennsylvania. However that plant closed in 1988, within the face of weak American gross sales by Volkswagen. And the UAW has had little success successful the fitting to characterize nonunion auto staff since then, till Friday’s vote.
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