The US labor union UAW intends to intensify its efforts with foreign manufacturers located in the southern United States. “We have plans everywhere in the South,” UAW President Shawn Fain told the “Handelsblatt”. While he declined to provide specifics on the upcoming steps, he emphasized that the struggle remains consistent regardless of the company or region.
Responding to questions about the new plant for Volkswagen subsidiary Scout Motors in South Carolina, Fain stated, “It is the same fight wherever we go.” Regarding a renewed attempt at the Mercedes factory in Tuscaloosa-where the workforce had voted against UAW representation in 2024-Fain expressed confidence, saying, “I don’t think it’s a question of if, but when.”
The Union’s starting point for this expansion is a successful breakthrough at Volkswagen in Chattanooga, marking the first time in 2024 that a foreign automaker’s workforce in the US South has been unionized. To support these future campaigns, the union is bolstering its financial resources. During the union convention in June, it was decided that the striking and defense fund should grow to “over one billion dollars.”
