Volkswagen Workers in Chattanooga to Vote on Strike Authorization

[Omaha Steve]

Source: UAW

Chattanooga, TN – After more than 13 months of negotiations, Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tennessee have announced a strike authorization vote to take place on Tuesday, October 28 and Wednesday, October 29.

The move comes after months of unfair labor practices committed by the company, including bad faith negotiations, unlawful intimidation, and the unilateral cutting of jobs at Volkswagen’s only US assembly plant.

Volkswagen made $20.6 billion in profits in 2024, and generates a full 20 percent of its profits in North America. The company can afford to provide a union contract that honors the hardworking autoworkers of Chattanooga.

“I don’t want to strike, but if it comes to it, I will,” said Volkswagen worker Mitchell Harris. “Because I feel that all my brothers and sisters of UAW Local 42 deserve respect, to provide a better life for their families, and have job security for us and generations to come.”



Read more: https://uaw.org/volkswagen-workers-in-chattanooga-to-vote-on-strike-authorization/

[nycbos]

1. Union members voted for Trump.

Even though he had a union busting agenda and literally said on camera quote if you’re rich as hell, you’re going to get a tax cut.” I used to have a tremendous amount of solidarity for these folks, but they brought this on themselves.

[Omaha Steve]

2. While Other Voters Moved Away From the Democrats, Union Members Shifted Toward Harris in 2024

Although many demographic groups shifted their votes to favor Donald Trump in 2024 compared to 2020, Kamala Harris increased Democratic support among union voters.

https://www.americanprogressaction.org/article/while-other-voters-moved-away-from-the-democrats-union-members-shifted-toward-harris-in-2024/

Many election analysts observe that Vice President Kamala Harris underperformed in 2024 compared with President Joe Biden in 2020 among key demographic groups, especially the working class. However, the Harris-Walz campaign managed to outperform Biden-Harris among union members. Joe Biden won union members handily in 2020, reversing a decline in union support for Democratic candidates that began in 2016, according to previous Center for American Progress Action Fund research. And, according to the VoteCast survey conducted for The Associated Press (AP) and Fox News, Harris appeared to widen Biden’s margin, with union voters preferring Harris over Donald Trump by 16 percentage points in 2024.