Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga have formally approved their first union contract, which promises to boost wages 20% over the next four years and ensure eligible workers receive at least $14,200 in bonuses.
The vote, with 96% of the ballots cast being in support, comes almost two years after employees chose overwhelmingly in April 2024 to join the United Auto Workers union.
“Volkswagen workers have taken control of their own destiny,” UAW President Shawn Fain said during an announcement Thursday evening in Chattanooga.
“No boss is going to keep us from having our union, and no corporation is going to stop us from winning our fair share,” Fain continued. “But you’ve also done something bigger than that. You’ve scored an historic victory for Chattanooga. This union contract is going to massively improve lives — but not just the workers at Volkswagen’s lives. This win is for every autoworker that comes after you.”
Shortly before the formal announcement, cheers erupted in the conference room at the Volkswagen campus, audible to reporters waiting in the entryway behind a panel of frosted glass. A few members strode out of the room carrying a large metal box full of ballots.