UAW says over 1,000 workers at VW plant in Tennessee have signed cards seeking union representation

DETROIT (AP) — More than 1,000 workers at Volkswagen’s Tennessee factory have signed cards authorizing a vote to be represented by the United Auto Workers union. It’s the first plant in the nation to reach that milestone in the UAW’s quest to organize more than a dozen nonunion factories. The union says in a statement Thursday that the workers signed on in less than a week. The factory in Chattanooga employs about 3,800 people who make the VW ID.4 electric vehicle and the Atlas family of gas-powered SUVs. In November, VW gave workers an 11% pay raise at the plant after UAW members ratified new contracts with Detroit automakers. But the union says VW’s pay lags behind what workers make at UAW-represented auto plants. VW says its pay and benefits represent a commitment to its employees.