After months of careful planning, organizing and campaigning, the UAW is approaching a critical moment in its efforts to unionize the Volkswagen assembly plant at Enterprise South, and an expected vote among employees there might just prove the expression “third time’s a charm.”
The United Auto Workers’ third attempt to unionize the VW plant, which now employs about 4,000 people, comes after employees on Monday filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to align with the union.
Riding a wave a momentum the UAW created last year with successful contract negotiations with the auto industry’s “Big 3” in Detroit, organizers are energized and optimistic that this third vote could be the one that secures union representation at the plant. Their confidence shouldn’t prevent union advocates and supporters from knocking on wood just to be sure, but there are strong signs that the UAW will prevail in the upcoming vote.
Riding the momentum
In early February, the UAW told the Times Free Press that more than 50% of VW employees had signed union authorization cards. And on Monday, the union said that number had jumped to 70%, a healthy majority of workers.