Once again trade unionists from the United Auto Workers (UAW) have been defeated in elections at the Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga, a city in the southern state of Tennessee. The result came after three days of voting: 833 workers voted against joining the union, while 776 voted in favour. The result marks the second time the 1,600 employees at the factory, who are paid by the hour, have rejected the trade union.
Employers at the Chattanooga plant had voted against joining the union back in 2014, 712 votes to 626 (see article n°8181). The gap is narrowing, however the workforce is still not convinced of the value of having UAW representation when engaging in multi-year wage negotiations. “Our employees have spoken,” Frank Fischer, head of Volkswagen Chattanooga, said in a company statement.
For the UAW, the result deals a heavy blow. The auto sector trade union has made its mark at the three major...
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