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ICYMI: TN Volkswagen Workers Reject Union

| Labor & Workplace

On Friday, Volkswagen workers at a plant in Chattanooga, TN voted against organizing under the United Auto Workers union by a vote of 712-626. If the UAW had won the election, this would have been the first union organized at a foreign-owned auto plant in a Southern U.S. state. As reported in this Wall Street Journal article, this was considered a crushing defeat to the UAW, as the “defeat raises questions about the future of a union that for years has suffered from declining membership and influence.” Many workers who voted against unionizing were deterred by the UAW’s past of bitter battles with management, costly labor contracts and complex work rules. Read more about the election in this Wall Street Journal article.

As outlined in North Carolina Vision 2030, our state’s right-to-work status is a key driver of a competitive business climate. In order to be as competitive as possible in the site selection process and to enhance the economic prospects of all North Carolinians, we must protect our right-to-work statute.