Workers at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga overwhelmingly voted to join the United Auto Workers (UAW) in a National Labor Relations Board election that ended on Friday night.
It wasn't even particularly close.
According to unofficial vote totals compiled by UAW, workers at the plant voted to unionize by 73% to 27% (2,628 to 985).
The vote makes the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga the first unionized automobile factory in the South not owned by Detroit's "Big Three" of Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors.
The next test of UAW's strength in the South will take place in Alabama next month.
Mercedes-Benz workers in Vance will vote from May 13 to May 17 on whether to join the UAW.
"Workers at our plant are ready for this moment," Jeremy Kimbrell, a Mercedes worker at the Vance plant, said in a statement on Thursday. "We are ready to vote yes because we are ready to win our fair share. We are going to end the Alabama discount and replace it with what our state actually needs. Workers sticking together and sticking by our community."
Over 5,000 Mercedes-Benz workers in Vance filed the petition with the NLRB seeking a vote to join the UAW on April 5.
Governor Kay Ivey, along with the governors of Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, oppose the UAW's unionization efforts.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
