This widespread unionization effort is part of a push to extend membership in an industry that is rapidly expanding in new regions across the country.
But many workers who are party to the campaign say it is being met by union-busting.
Over the past two weeks, workers at an Indiana Honda plant, an Alabama Hyundai plant and a Tennessee Volkswagen plant complained to federal regulators that management had made illegal moves to prevent them from organizing.
At the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. — the center of the company’s U.S.-based buildout of EVs — members were inspired by a resounding October victory led by United Auto Workers (UAW) against three of the biggest carmakers in Detroit.
In early December, more than 1,000 workers at the Volkswagen plant signed union cards, according to the group.
The UAW — the nation’s largest auto union — had warned that the simplified supply chains of EVs would drive a “race to the bottom” for organized auto workers.
But as part of their October victory in negotiations with carmakers Ford, GM and Stellantis, new EV and battery plants will be automatically organized under the UAW — rather than having to pursue independent paths to unionization.
“Corporate America is not going to force us to pick between good jobs and green jobs,” UAW president Shawn Fain told reporters at the time.
But as that campaign moves into disputed territory, new union members at factories across the country say management is fighting dirty.
On Monday, organizers at the Chattanooga Volkswagen plant alleged that management had barred them from distributing union materials or discussing the organization.
“We are deeply disturbed by reports from Chattanooga workers about an intentional union-busting campaign being carried out by Volkswagen management,” a coalition of members and local groups wrote to the CEO of Volkswagen America.
“Multiple workers have filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board in response to illegal violations of their rights by Volkswagen management,” the letter stated.
UAW’s president, Shawn Fain, traveled from Detroit to Chattanooga to deliver that letter to management and show support for the union drive at the factory.
Volkswagen, he said, has earned $78 billion in profits since 2020.
“They paid $24 billion in dividends to their corporate executives and shareholders,” Fain added. “Workers haven’t received the fruits of their labor.”
Volkswagen America — a Virginia–based company whose other global plants are all unionized — disputed that it had illegally campaigned against the union.
“Volkswagen refutes any claims of union-busting, intimidation or illegal violations of worker rights at our Chattanooga plant,” the company told reporters, according to Chattanooga-based TV station WDEF.
But the company said it “remained committed” to providing workers with “accurate information” about what it meant to join a union.
On Wednesday, a leading German metalworkers union announced its support for the union drive.
The Chattanooga fight is just one part of a nationwide campaign, which also targets 13 automakers that employ nearly 150,000 automakers — including BMW, Rivian, Tesla and Toyota.
Lori Paton, an organizer at EV startup Rivian, said in a UAW statement that the company “likes to tell us we’re making the plane while flying it, and that explains a lot about the problems we have.”
Paton cited “the lack of safety, the low pay, the forced overtime, there are so many reasons we need to be union.”
The company told National Public Radio that it was not commenting on the UAW drive. The Hill has also reached out to Rivian for comment.
