The United Auto Workers’ first-ever victory at a foreign automaker in the South marks a momentous gain for unions in a region that traditionally has been hostile to organized labor and is now in the midst of a manufacturing boom.
The win, in the face of stiff opposition from six Southern governors who said unionization would imperil jobs and future investments, is expected to trigger fiercer battles between organizers and elected officials and others resistant to their campaigns.
“The business community in right-to-work Southern states has largely been immune to sustained, well-funded organizing drives,” said Michael Lotito, co-chair of the Workplace Policy Institute at Littler, a law firm that advises employers on labor issues. “It seems those days may be coming to an end.”
The UAW succeeded Friday in organizing about 4,300 workers at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., winning 73% of workers who cast ballots. Union officials said the win showed the UAW’s stronger position after securing pay raises in last year’s strike at the Big Three automakers, as well as greater receptivity to unions, especially among younger workers.
The Wall Street Journal
