Washington, D.C. — Today, workers at the Chattanooga Volkswagen (VW) factory voted to join the United Auto Workers (UAW). In response, Patrick Gaspard, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, released the following statement:
No one should be paid less or treated worse on the job because they live in the South. Today, thousands of workers at VW’s plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, demonstrated that Southern workers are ready to fight for the same good wages, working conditions, and respect on the job as workers in Michigan and Ohio. Now, the electric vehicle revolution will be built by union workers.
This is just the beginning. Last fall, UAW workers at Ford, Stellantis, and General Motors sparked the same torch that is being carried by VW workers today. Success breeds success. And VW workers will pass that torch to thousands more nonunion auto workers who have launched campaigns at Mercedes in Vance, Alabama; Hyundai in Montgomery, Alabama; and Toyota in Troy, Missouri. The spark isn’t contained to auto workers. From baristas and nurses to delivery drivers and video game designers, workers across the economy are coming together to fight for a fair share of the profits they create.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sarah Nadeau at [email protected].