Tag Archive for: Region 8

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Higher Wages, Affordable Health Care, Retirement Security: Volkswagen Chattanooga Workers Lay Out First Contract Demands in New Series of Videos from the UAW

CHATTANOOGA – Today, the UAW released a new video featuring members at Volkswagen Chattanooga who are negotiating their first union contract with the German automaker. The video, titled “Higher Wages,” is the latest installment in an ongoing video series highlighting the members’ key contract demands.

Determined to raise standards and improve conditions at their plant, the 4,000 UAW members at Volkswagen are fighting for a first agreement that reflects unionized auto manufacturing standards in the U.S. as well as the company’s record-breaking profits. In 2023 alone, Volkswagen reported $24.4 billion in earnings. Workers are demanding a contract that includes better wages, stronger benefits, and protections comparable to those won by U.S. unionized auto workers. The latest bargaining update and a chart comparing the current VW proposal with contracts at the Big Three can be accessed here.

Building on the momentum of their historic union victory, the members, along with the 20-person bargaining committee, are working to secure comprehensive contract language that delivers real gains and ends the era of exploitation that Volkswagen has maintained since opening the plant in 2011.

Beyond higher wages and affordable health care, members are bargaining over a broad set of workplace issues, including stronger safety standards, fair scheduling policies, paid leave, protections against unjust discipline, and a meaningful voice in workplace decision-making. Their goal is to ensure that every aspect of their working conditions is fair and rewards their hard work.  

The video series can be accessed here.

“The fact that the shareholders made $12.7 billion last year and 34% of that goes to one family. And I’m just trying to afford groceries and my bills at the same time,” explains VW Bargaining Committee member Caleb Michalski. “I’ve never had a desire to be rich. I just want to be able to provide for my family and do normal American Dream stuff. That’s it.”

“Pay? We should be making more than what we’re making,” says VW Assembly Logistics worker Letonja Berry. “We not asking for nothing that they don’t have. We all know that it’s corporate greed.”

“I have three kids,” describes Bargaining Committee member Billy Quigg in another video about health care. “Is their care covered? Am I at the right doctor? How is that going to impact me financially? I should never have to worry about that. I work for the world’s largest auto manufacturer.”

“For me, at my age, it’s making sure you’re taken care of after you leave Volkswagen,” says Bargaining Committee member Vicky Holloway in a video about retirement. “Making sure there is life after Volkswagen.”

The list of video demands available from Volkswagen Chattanooga workers includes:

  • Higher Wages
  • Health Care
  • Retirement
  • Health & Safety
  • Wages
  • Fair Attendance & PTO

One of the most urgent concerns raised by workers is the lack of affordable health insurance. Unlike UAW autoworkers across the country, including in the south, who have won fully paid family health care with low out-of-pocket copays, VW’s employee health insurance is not meeting the needs of Chattanooga workers and their families.

In recent weeks, members have been engaging in one-on-one conversations with coworkers to complete a health care needs assessment. Again and again, coworkers share stories of financial hardship and even bankruptcy when accessing basic, necessary medical care. Some chose to opt out because VW insurance is not affordable.

Bargaining with Volkswagen kicked off last September, and the members say they’re still far apart on fundamental demands such as wages and health care and want to see management step up and address their concerns in their future proposals. The latest bargaining update and comparison chart can be accessed here.

The UAW bargaining committee is taking action to engage the membership. In conversations at the gates and in informational meetings, they’re hearing from their coworkers: we should not settle for anything less than a fair contract that reflects the true value of our labor – and we’re preparing to do what it takes to get what we’re due.

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UAW Statement on NIH Freezes

Just days after the first contract took effect covering 5,000 members of UAW 2750 at the National Institutes of Health, the Trump Administration has imposed an unprecedented set of restrictions on the nation’s premier public research institution. These include a communications blackout, canceling all meetings, a travel ban for employees, strict limitations on spending research funds, and a complete hiring freeze. UAW 2750 members are researchers who work at NIH facilities in Maryland and in other states, and their research addresses the nation’s most pressing medical and public health issues including fighting cancer, infectious disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and much more.

These freezes are already causing research at the NIH to grind to a halt. The Trump Administration is also preventing the NIH from processing research grant proposals that fund research at universities across the country. Any delays in research progress will have impacts on the country and for the American economy, and these restrictions represent a serious public health risk as the threat of avian flu and other deadly diseases continues to rise.

UAW calls on the Trump Administration, including Acting Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Dorothy Fink, and Congress to lift these draconian restrictions immediately to ensure that scientific research in the United States, including the crucial work done by UAW members, can continue without interruption.

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Battery Workers at BlueOval SK in Kentucky File for First Major Union Election in the South in 2025

GLENDALE, Ky. — A supermajority of workers at battery maker BlueOval SK filed a petition Tuesday with the National Labor Relations Board for a vote to form their union with the UAW. The election filing at BlueOval SK (BOSK), a new joint venture of Ford and SK On, is the first major filing in the South in 2025 and continues the movement of Southern autoworkers organizing with the UAW.

In a new video, BOSK workers talk about why they’re voting yes to form their union. The video can be accessed here and the media is invited to use the footage. More information about the campaign, including first-person statements from BOSK workers, is at: uaw.org/bosk.

“We’re forming our union so we can have a say in our safety and our working conditions,” said Halee Hadfield, a quality operator at BOSK. “The chemicals we’re working with can be extremely dangerous. If something goes wrong, a massive explosion can occur. With our union, we can speak up if we see there’s a problem and make sure we’re keeping ourselves and the whole community safe.”

The BOSK workers publicly launched their campaign to join the UAW in November once a supermajority of workers had signed union cards. The company has responded to the campaign by hiring anti-union consultants who are trying to block the workers from organizing.

“What we’re doing here can be transformative, but there are problems with management that we have to fix,” said Angela Conto, a production operator in formation at BOSK. “Instead of listening to our safety concerns, management has been ordering people to work without proper protective equipment. Now they’re trying to stop us from forming our union to win a strong voice for safety. But the strong supermajority of workers who’ve signed union cards show we’re going to fix what’s wrong at BOSK and make it the leading manufacturer of electric vehicle batteries in America.”

In December, the BOSK workers held a town hall in Elizabethtown, Ky., with UAW members from Ultium Cells in Lordstown, Ohio, which makes battery cells for GM’s electric vehicle fleet. Ultium opened as a nonunion plant in 2022, and workers there encountered many of the same problems the BOSK workers face now. An Ultium worker explained how they organized with the UAW and won a union contract with strong safety protections and life-changing raises and benefits.

“I have worked both union and nonunion jobs and have seen the power of a union firsthand,” said Andrew McLean, a logistics worker in formation at BOSK. “Right now, we don’t have a say at BOSK. With a union, we’ll be on a level playing field with management. That’s so important when you’re getting a new plant off the ground. The union allows us to give honest feedback without fear of retaliation.”

The BOSK workers are building on the victories at Ultium in Lordstown, and also at the new Ultium plant in Spring Hill, Tenn., where workers joined the UAW in September. The growing unionization movement among nonunion battery workers across the country, and especially in the South, builds off the success of the UAW’s Stand Up Strike at the Big Three and the victory by Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tenn., who became the first Southern autoworkers outside the Big Three to win their union when they voted to join the UAW in April.

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UAW Members at Woodbridge Corp Walk Out on Strike

LITHONIA, Ga – Early Wednesday morning on October 30, UAW-represented Woodbridge Corp – Atlanta Foam workers of Local 472 walked out on strike.

“Despite numerous meetings and bargaining sessions, management has yet to make a significant offer on three critical issues for workers: wages, benefits, and seniority,” said UAW Region 8 Director Tim Smith.

“It’s clear that the company has no intention of reaching a fair and equitable agreement, leaving workers no choice but to strike.”

Workers at Woodbridge produce seating and dashboard components for Yamaha and Nissan and have been working under an expired contract since September 30.

On August 22, workers voted 98% in favor of authorizing a strike.

“We’re standing together to demand what we’re owed,” said UAW Local 472 President Rachel Johnson. “I’m on strike for better wages, healthcare, and respect for the work I do.”

Following the historic Stand Up strike that led autoworkers at the Big Three to win record raises and benefits, Woodbridge workers are the latest UAW members to Stand Up during contract negotiations. UAW members have secured significant contracts in the past year, including at Cornell University in New York and Daimler Truck in North Carolina.

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UAW-Represented Staff at Association of Professional Flight Attendants Strike Over Unfair Contract Negotiations

Dallas, TX — The UAW-represented staff at the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), which represents American Airlines Flight Attendants, have gone on strike following stalled contract negotiations and an unwillingness by APFA management to bargain in good faith. The unit, composed of 11 clerical, administrative, and support staff, unanimously rejected the latest contract offer after facing attempts to erode the bargaining unit, concessions, unfair wages, loss of staff positions, and other issues impacting their livelihoods. This marks the first strike and contract rejection in the unit’s history since joining the UAW in 1989.

The UAW-represented employees have long supported APFA’s efforts in securing better working conditions for flight attendants, but they now find themselves on the picket line to defend their own rights and economic security.

Their contract expired on October 1, with bargaining having begun only a few weeks prior. After six bargaining sessions, management dug in their heels and little progress was made on key issues that would protect staff positions, maintain fair representation, and ensure fair wages.

Kim Ramos, UAW Chairperson and a 38-year employee and UAW member, expressed disappointment in the breakdown of negotiations:

“We are saddened that APFA has refused to bargain in good faith, and now we walk the line in solidarity to better the livelihoods of the UAW-represented staff employees. We may be small, but we are mighty and 100% in solidarity.”

Cheryl Stubblefield, President of UAW Local 129, echoed these sentiments, calling out the hypocrisy of APFA’s stated values:

“I am beyond words to witness the utter disrespect our UAW T.O.P. workers have encountered. Their employer claims to want to ‘humanize’ workers and evolve the labor movement, but after days of talk, that promise has not been realized. We must stand for justice for all workers. We must stand for economic freedom. We must stand today to protect and advance all the rights that have been bargained for. Will you stand today in support of our labor movement?”

The UAW-represented staff are resolute in their fight for a fair contract and call on APFA to return to the table ready to negotiate a deal that respects the workers who have diligently served the union for decades.

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Volkswagen Workers Outline Their Demands in New UAW Video as First Contract Campaign Begins

CHATTANOOGA— Today, the UAW released a new video outlining the priority demands of Volkswagen workers as contract negotiations between the union and the German automaker begin for a first agreement at the Chattanooga plant.

The video can be accessed here, and the media is invited to use the footage.    

After a historic victory earlier this year, where 4,300 Volkswagen workers voted almost 3-to-1 to join the United Auto Workers (UAW), union members are now campaigning for a strong first contract. On September 19, the 20-person elected bargaining committee kicked off negotiations with Volkswagen, aiming to win a first agreement that raises standards and includes wages, benefits, and protections on par with those secured by autoworkers in unionized plants.

“I got the carpal tunnel scar right there,” describes Josh Epperson, highlighting the need to prioritize health and safety protocols in their contract. “We have jobs in there that we know are going to hurt people. So why haven’t we done anything about that?”

The vote to join the UAW this past spring marked a watershed moment in the labor movement, with Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga becoming the first Southern autoworkers outside the Big Three to unionize. Now, they are channeling that momentum toward bargaining for a contract that delivers meaningful improvements to their work and lives.

With the success of recent Big Three and Daimler Truck negotiations as inspiration, Volkswagen workers are setting a powerful example of what’s possible when workers come together to demand fairness at work.

“I have tears in both my rotator cuffs, and I have to have surgery,” says Yolanda Peoples, a UAW bargaining committee member. “If we’re gonna win the contract that we deserve, it’s not just the bargainers. We need everyone involved.”

With representation across every department and shift, the bargaining committee has been meeting for weeks to synthesize survey data about members’ aspirations and goals for the first agreement. Supported by veteran negotiator Chuck Browning, UAW Vice President, the group has been reviewing company and industry data and contract language from agreements with Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis.

Full transcript featuring workers from the Volkswagen Chattanooga bargaining team: 

I realized the first day, when they told me how much we were making, we need a union. I said if you need a Norma Rae, I’m your girl.

GM and Stellantis. Workers got incredible gains, but their companies aren’t nearly as big as Volkswagen.

It’s up to everybody in that plant to come together and make sure we get what we deserve.

Safety is probably the biggest thing. I mean, I don’t want to worry about losing a limb or breaking a bone.

The company denies injuries until they can’t anymore. I needed carpal tunnel surgery for six years, and they said that it wasn’t work related because it was my non-dominant hand. They told us to use our non-dominant hand.

I’m currently sitting here, right. And I have tears in both my rotator cuffs, and I have to have surgery.

I got the carpal tunnel scar right there. We have jobs in there that we know are going to hurt people. So why haven’t we done anything about that?

The PTO is a big deal.

I went to medical. ‘Oh, you got Covid, you got to go home.’ They turned my badge off. I was gone for about five days. And I realized when I came back, I had all these points. I’m like, why do I got all these points? I didn’t send myself home. Medical sent me home.

I take my PTO when I want it. Not when you want me to take it.

For me, a big deal is retirement. Job security is a big deal. I’m 52.

I have three kids. Is their care covered? Am I at the right doctor? How is that going to impact me financially? I should never have to worry about that. I worked for the world’s largest auto manufacturer.

And when you’re talking about one company making more money than members of the Big Three do, and you see what they provide their employees … come on.

With a contract, it changes the power dynamic completely. They’re in the business to make money. They’re not they’re not in the people business. That’s what the unions for.

The bargaining team is only one part of this. We need the support of everybody in that plant. We all stood up together to win the union. Let’s all stand up together now to win a contract.

If we’re gonna win the contract that we deserve it’s not just the bargainers. We need everyone involved.

It involves 4,311 people that are in that plant every day.

Sign your name to the members’ demands. Talk to your coworkers.

That’s how we won our union and that’s how are we going to win the best contract that you ever seen?

Better than Ford, better than GM. Everybody … Chattanooga! That’s how we going to get it.

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Building on Historic Union Victory, Volkswagen Workers in Chattanooga Rally to Win Strong First Contract

CHATTANOOGA – After an historic victory earlier this year, where Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga voted almost 3-to-1 to join the United Auto Workers (UAW), union members are now turning their attention to securing a strong first contract. On September 19, workers will begin negotiations with Volkswagen, aiming to win a first agreement that raises standards and includes wages, benefits, and protections on par with those secured by autoworkers in unionized plants.

The vote marked a watershed moment in the labor movement, with Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga becoming the first Southern autoworkers outside the Big Three to unionize. Now, they are channeling that momentum toward bargaining for a contract that delivers meaningful improvements to their work and lives.

“Our victory in April was just the beginning,” said Samuel Gallardo, an assembly line worker at Volkswagen. “Now we are focused on winning a contract that reflects the hard work and dedication of every worker here. We’ve shown that when we stand together, we win—first our union, and soon a contract that guarantees higher wages, better benefits, and a brighter future for all.”

As they prepare for the first day of bargaining on September 19, UAW members are rallying to show their unity and determination to secure a fair agreement. The rally will feature workers, union leaders, and community supporters, all standing together in solidarity as they demand the wages, benefits, and protections they deserve.

“This contract is about more than just numbers—it’s about dignity, respect, and real security for our families,” said Bashaar Al-Hussieni, a worker at the Chattanooga plant. “We voted for the union because we knew we deserved better. Now we’re ready to make sure that our first contract delivers on that promise.”

With the success of recent Big Three and Daimler Truck negotiations as inspiration, Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga are setting a powerful example of what’s possible when workers come together to demand fairness at work.

With representation across every department and shift, the 20-person elected bargaining committee has been meeting for weeks to synthesize survey data about members’ aspirations and goals for the first agreement. Supported by veteran negotiator Chuck Browning, UAW Vice President, the group has been reviewing company and industry data and contract language from agreements with Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis.

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UAW President Shawn Fain and Hundreds of Workers Kick Off Volkswagen Contract Talks Sunday with Live Streamed Rally

CHATTANOOGA — On Sunday, Sept. 15, UAW President Shawn Fain will rally in Chattanooga with Volkswagen workers as contract negotiations covering more than 4,000 UAW members get underway. The workers are demanding a first agreement that raises standards and includes wages, benefits, and protections on par with those secured by autoworkers in unionized plants.

Sunday’s 1:30 p.m. ET rally will be livestreamed at the UAW’s Facebook page. It can also be viewed at the UAW’s YouTube Channel. (Media are invited to use the footage.)

WHAT:
UAW President Shawn Fain to Rally with Hundreds of Volkswagen Workers as Contract Talks Begin

WHEN:  
Sunday, September 15, at 1:30 p.m. ET

WHERE:
The Signal – Ballroom
21 Choo Choo Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37402

WHO:
UAW President Shawn Fain
UAW Vice President Chuck Browning
UAW Region 8 Director Tim Smith
Volkswagen auto workers and allies

 

After an historic victory earlier this year, where Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga voted almost 3-to-1 to join the United Auto Workers (UAW), union members are now turning their attention to securing a strong first contract. On September 19, workers will begin negotiations with Volkswagen, aiming to win higher wages, better benefits, paid time off, retirement security, and much more.

The vote marked a watershed moment in the labor movement, with Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga becoming the first Southern autoworkers outside the Big Three to unionize. Now, they are channeling that momentum toward bargaining for a contract that delivers meaningful improvements to their work and lives.

Bargaining with Volkswagen management begins on Thursday, September 19.

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Ultium Workers in Tennessee Win Their Union as Majority Sign Cards to Join the UAW

SPRING HILL, Tenn. — A majority of workers at Ultium Cells in Tennessee have signed cards to join the UAW and the company has agreed to recognize their union. Ultium, a joint venture of General Motors and LG Energy Solution, did not interfere with the decision by its 1,000 employees to join the UAW. The workers organized without facing threats or intimidation and won their union once a majority of workers signed cards. 

 “This is a great day for Ultium workers and for every worker in Tennessee and the South,” said Trudy Lindahl, a worker at Ultium in Spring Hill. “Southern workers are ready to stand up and win our fair share by winning our unions. And when we have a free and fair choice, we will win every time.”

 The Ultium workers’ victory marks the latest big win for autoworkers in the South. In April, 4,300 workers at Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tenn., made history as they became the first Southern autoworkers outside of the Big Three to win their union.  

 “The UAW members at Ultium and VW are proving that the new jobs of the South will be union jobs,” said Director Tim Smith of UAW Region 8, which includes Tennessee and ranges from the Southeast to New Mexico. “In the battery plants and EV factories springing up from Georgia to Kentucky to Texas, workers know they deserve the same strong pay and benefits our members have won. And we’re going to make sure they have the support they need to win their unions and win their fair share.” 

 The Ultium plant in Spring Hill, which started production this year, is the second Ultium factory built in the United States and the second to go union. The first, in Lordstown, Ohio, opened in 2022, and workers there also organized with the UAW. 

 “Being unionized will help us reap the benefits as far as better healthcare, better pay, and overall, just having decency within the workplace— not just for us, but future generations,” said Tradistine Chambers, a worker at Ultium in Spring Hill.

Noting the strength that comes from forming a union, Ultium worker Jim Erwin commented, “You’re grouped together, and you can stand up as one. That’s the power of being a union.” He added, “Instead of just one stick, you’ve got several. You can’t snap several sticks, but you can snap one.” 

  Just two months ago, the Ultium workers in Lordstown won a breakthrough contract that sets a new standard for the EV industry. It includes strong health and safety standards and life-changing wage increases. By 2027, the pay for Ultium Lordstown workers will be more than double what it was when the plant opened. 

  The Ultium contract in Lordstown sets a powerful precedent for Spring Hill and for the tens of thousands of new battery jobs that will be coming online soon across the South, including at Ford’s Blue Oval plants in Tennessee and Kentucky.

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UAW Workers Walk Out at Penske Logistics in El Paso after Company’s Refusal to Bargain in Good Faith

Members of Local 286 who work at Penske Logistics walked off the job in an unfair labor practice strike following the company’s refusal to negotiate a first contract in good faith. 

More than 40 workers in the clerical unit of the El Paso, TX, facility voted to form their union over a year ago and have been stonewalled by the company in their attempt to win a first contract. Members are seeking fair pay, real paid time off, and better benefits, particularly health care.

“I am on strike because clerical workers at Penske deserve a fair contract, and to be able to care for our families,” said Juan Amparan, a Penske worker. “Health insurance is so expensive that my family hasn’t been able to afford to go to the doctor. This company treats us like we are machines and tools, but we are people.”

With a high premium and $6,000 a year deductible, the current option is so unaffordable that half of the workers don’t receive any health insurance. Most workers make around $18 an hour, while health care premiums cost around $180 per week. Workers are pushing to raise wages to at least $20 an hour and are striking to bring company negotiators back to the bargaining table in hopes of reaching an agreement.

“The company’s refusal to sit down with workers and hash out a deal with fair pay and benefits so workers can care for their families is unacceptable,” said UAW Region 8 Director Tim Smith. “It’s time for Penske to get serious and negotiate in good faith.”

Penske Logistics workers are the latest UAW members standing up to win their fair share of the massive profits they produce. Last year, thousands of UAW autoworkers walked out on strike for six weeks and won record contracts at the Big Three automakers.

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