UAW scores historic win in South at VW plant

Volkswagen workers in Tennessee have voted to join the United Auto Workers union

UAW organizers celebrate Tennessee unionization vote
This sets a new precedent for labor unions in the South
(Image credit: Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images)

What happened

A Volkswagen auto plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, voted to join the United Auto Workers union, giving the UAW its first modern toehold in the "right to work" South and its first successful unionization at a foreign-owned automaker in the region. The lopsided 2,628-985 vote followed narrow UAW losses at the factory in 2014 and 2019.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.