Workers at Volkswagen's US factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board so they can vote to join the United Auto Workers union or the UAW.
The announcement released by the UAW also stated about unfair labour practices at the German-based company's Chattanooga unit, which is currently the only Volkswagen (VW) plant globally without union representation.
"Today, we are one step closer to making a good job at Volkswagen into a great career," said Isaac Meadows, a production team member in assembly at the VW plant.
"Right now, we miss time with our families because so much of our paid-time-off is burned up during the summer and winter shutdowns. We shouldn't have to choose between our family and our job. By winning our union and a real voice at Volkswagen, we can negotiate for more time with our families."
The union said that the filing was made after a "supermajority of workers at the plant signed union authorization cards in just 100 days." The Chattanooga plant employs more than 4,000 autoworkers who earn between $23.40 per hour and $32.40 per hour, with a four-year grow-in period to top wages, according to the company.
However, the automaker's wages are lower than the UAW's negotiated wages which currently range between about $25 an hour and $36 an hour for production workers, including estimated cost-of-living adjustments.
Responding to the petition, a VW spokesperson stated, "We respect our workers' right to a democratic process and to determine who should represent their interests. We will fully support an NLRB vote so every team member has a chance to vote in privacy in this important decision.
"The election timeline will be determined by the NLRB. Volkswagen is proud of our working environment in Chattanooga that provides some of the best paying jobs in the area."
The union also announced its plan to spend $40 million towards organizing auto and battery workers in the next two years. It had, so far, already achieved 50% support at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama, 30% support at a Hyundai plant in Alabama, and 30% at a Toyota plant in Missouri.
Last year, UAW was successful in organizing 150,000 workers at non-unionized auto plants in the United States such as Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.
