New York, United States—Volkswagen workers in Tennessee voted decisively to become a union shop, according to election results released Friday, marking the first victory for organized labor at a foreign-owned auto plant in the American South.
With a solid 73 percent supporting, employees in the Chattanooga plant voted for representation by the United Auto Workers at the 13-year-old factory, according to results released by VW, a triumphant outcome for organized labor in a region in which it has long failed to make major gains.
“Volkswagen workers just made history!” said a UAW post on X, the former Twitter.
VW, which adopted a neutral position in public communications, said in a press release that the election “was administered through a democratic, secret ballot vote overseen by the National Labor Relations Board.”
“Volkswagen thanks its Chattanooga workers for voting in this election,” the company added.