“I’m hanging in here like a hair in a biscuit.”
When people ask me how I’ve fared at Volkswagen, I say yes. When Volkswagen announced in 2008 that it was opening a new facility in Chattanooga, I submitted an application along with over 20,000 other girlfriends. I consider myself lucky to be one of Volkswagen’s first 2,000 employees (my watch number is 1,633).
Today, fewer than 400 of the original 2,000 employees work at the factory. Their absence speaks volumes.
Although VW has brought jobs to Chattanooga, working conditions and lack of employee input make the sustainability of the VW workforce prohibitive. From a lack of vacation time to a shaky healthcare system, Volkswagen has a lot of room for improvement.
Getting a good wage is important, but workers also need to be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Ensuring sufficient personal leave is a consistent challenge for VW employees. We don’t have sick days, so when illness or tragedy occurs, we end up spending time with our families or having to work while sick. Healthcare is also a big issue. Currently, VW has complete control over our health insurance, and frequent changes create unexpected and high costs for employees. This has led some workers to refrain from taking important medications.
That’s why I and the majority of my colleagues are unionized. Volkswagen often talks about “continuous improvement” and in that spirit, we intend to improve working conditions and turn a Volkswagen job into a Volkswagen career.
This idea shouldn’t be strange to VW management. All Volkswagen plants around the world have union representatives, except for Chattanooga, Tennessee. The company’s charter states that it supports human rights and labor relations around the world. But when we talk about unionizing here in Tennessee, they suddenly start talking about us VW workers as an “outside third party.”
I have lived in the Chattanooga metropolitan area for over 30 years. I have been a Volkswagen employee since May 2011.
I find it ironic that Volkswagen involves third-party special interest groups like the National Labor Rights Foundation to promote anti-union policies and then calls us outsiders.
We are not outsiders. We live here in Chattanooga. We pay taxes here. We go to church here. We participate in community service activities such as Wolftever Creek revitalization efforts.
And yes, we work here. We are unionizing to negotiate change for the betterment of everyone. First and foremost, we need to unionize, negotiate contracts, and build a better life for Volkswagen employees in Chattanooga.
Troy D. Hunt is Treasurer of UAW Local 42.