Chattanooga, TN — Ahead of UAW’s announced strike vote at the Volkswagen Chattanooga plant, Jobs with Justice Executive Director Erica Smiley released the following statement:
Jobs with Justice stands in unwavering solidarity with the courageous Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga as they prepare to cast their ballots on whether to strike, a difficult decision in the best of circumstances for most people.
We stand in solidarity with workers like Caleb Michalski who refuse to be bullied by Volkswagen into taking a bad deal.
“The most important things in this contract are job security, healthcare, and inflation protection. Every worker at Volkswagen is entitled to the American dream that allows us to purchase a home, care for our families, and be able to put money in savings rather than falling further and further into debt.”
Workers have endured thirteen months of bad-faith bargaining, intimidation, and unfair labor practices after winning a union through years of organizing against enormous odds. It is unconscionable that a corporation receiving nearly $1 billion in Tennessee taxpayer subsidies continues to deny its employees safe and secure jobs, family-sustaining wages, and affordable healthcare. The reality that so many autoworkers must hold multiple jobs while enduring chronic injuries exposes the profound moral and economic crisis of corporate greed in our time. Workers are the solution.
What’s happening in Chattanooga is about more than one contract — it’s about who holds power in a region built on the repression of workers, especially Black workers. Less than 1 year ago, the company reduced executive compensation to prevent layoffs after pressure from union workers in Germany. Why are workers in Tennessee treated so differently?
This is a fight for the future of democracy in the South. Democracy doesn’t end at the ballot box; it lives on the shop floor. When workers stand together to demand fair treatment, safe jobs, and a real voice in their workplaces, they are practicing democracy in its purest form. Their courage challenges decades of anti-worker politics and signals a turning point for the entire region.
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