Chattanooga is a union town. At one time boasting a union density of around 40% of the work force, our city has been the center of innumerable hard fights and historic victories for wages, safety and dignity at work.
In 1916 and 1917, street car operators staged multiple strikes for union recognition. Supported by thousands of Chattanoogans standing in solidarity, they battled strike-breakers sent by the Philadelphia-based company and won their way to the negotiating table.
Chattanoogans working at the Coosa-Thatcher mill participated in the 1934 general textile strike, in which textile workers around the Southeast banded together to demand safe and dignified working conditions.
In more recent history, SEIU local 205 won their fight for a $15 dollar minimum wage for city workers; this was followed by the victory for a $15 dollar minimum wage at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2023 by UTC’s United Campus Workers (UCW-UTC 3865).
Just last year, local members of CWA held the longest telecommunications strike in U.S. history and won a new contract despite intentional stalling by AT&T.