Tennessee
Tennessee Volkswagen workers to vote on union membership in test of UAW's plan to expand its ranks
DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers’ ambitious drive to expand its reach to nonunion factories across the South and elsewhere faces a key test Friday night, when workers at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, will finish voting on whether to join the union.
The UAW’s ranks in the auto industry have dwindled over the years as foreign-based companies with nonunion U.S. plants have sold increasingly more vehicles.
Twice in recent years, workers at the Chattanooga plant have rejected union membership. Most recently, they handed the UAW a narrow defeat in 2019 just as federal prosecutors were breaking up a bribery-and-embezzlement scandal at the union.
But this time, the UAW is operating under new leadership, directly elected by its members for the first time and basking in a successful confrontation with Detroit’s major automakers. The union’s pugnacious new president, Shawn Fain, was elected on a platform of cleaning up after the scandal and turning more confrontational with automakers. An emboldened Fain, backed by President Joe Biden, led the union in a series of strikes last fall against Detroit’s automakers that resulted in lucrative new contracts.
The new contracts raised union wages by a substantial one-third, arming Fain and his organizers with enticing new offers to present to workers at Volkswagen and other companies.
“I’m very confident,” said Isaac Meadows, an assembly line worker in Chattanooga who helped lead the union organizing drive at the plant. “The excitement is really high right now. We’ve put a lot of work into it, a lot of face-to-face conversations with co-workers from our volunteer committee.”
The UAW’s supporters have faced stout resistance, though, from Volkswagen, which argues that union membership isn’t necessary. The company contends that its pay levels are competitive for the Chattanooga area and that it treats its employees well. The factory’s 4,300 production workers make Atlas SUVs and the ID.4 electric vehicle at the 3.8 million-square-foot (353,353-square-meter) plant.
Six Southern governors, including Tennessee’s Bill Lee, have lined up against union membership. They warned the workers in a joint statement last week that joining the UAW could cost them their jobs and threaten the region’s economic progress.
Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University in Detroit who studies the UAW, said there is a good chance that this election could bring the union a historic victory. Public opinion, Masters said, is now generally more aligned with unions than it was in the past.
To approve membership, though, the workers in Chattanooga will have to look past the warnings that joining the union, with the accompanying higher wages, would lead to job losses. Since the UAW’s new contracts were signed in the fall with General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, all three companies have cut a relatively small number of factory positions. But Ford CEO Jim Farley has said that his company will have to rethink where it builds future vehicles because of the strike.
“While the UAW’s reputation has improved as a result of new leadership and contracts, it’s still associated with a decline in the auto industry,” Masters said.
Shortly after the Detroit contracts were ratified, Volkswagen and other nonunion companies handed their workers big pay raises. Fain characterized those wage increases as the “UAW bump” and asserted that they were intended to keep the union out of the plants.
Last fall, Volkswagen raised factory pay by 11%, lifting top wages to around $29 an hour, or about $60,000 a year, excluding benefits and an attendance bonus. VW said its pay exceeds the median household income for the Chattanooga area, which was $54,480 last May, according to the U.S. Labor Department.
But under the UAW contracts, top production workers at GM, for instance, now earn $36 an hour, or about $75,000 a year excluding benefits and profit sharing, which ranged from $10,400 at Ford to $13,860 at Stellantis this year. By the end of the contract in 2028, top-scale GM workers would make over $89,000.
Zach Costello, a worker who trains new employees at the Volkswagen plant, said pay shouldn’t be benchmarked against typical wages in the Chattanooga area.
“How about we decide what we’re worth, and we get paid what we’re worth?” he asked.
VW asserts that its factories are safer than the industry average, based on data reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. And the company contends that it considers workers’ preferences in scheduling. It noted that it recently agreed to change the day that third-shift workers start their week so that they have Fridays and Saturdays off.
But Meadows, whose job involves preparing vehicles for the assembly line after the auto bodies are painted, said the company adds overtime or sends workers home early whenever it wants.
“People are just kind of fed up with it,” he said.
VW, he argued, doesn’t report all injuries to the government, instead often blaming pre-existing conditions that a worker might have. The union has filed complaints of unfair labor practices, including allegations that the company barred workers from discussing unions during work time and restricted the distribution of union materials.
Volkswagen said in statements that it supports the right to vote on union representation, and it denied the union’s allegations.
If the union prevails in the vote at the VW plant, it would mark the first time that the UAW has represented workers at a foreign-owned automaking plant in the South. It would not, however, be the first union auto assembly plant in the South. The UAW represents workers at two Ford assembly plants in Kentucky and two GM factories in Tennessee and Texas, as well as some heavy-truck manufacturing plants.
Cicadas explained: Three facts about buzzing insects
Still have questions about cicadas? We explore the lifespan of cicadas, what they eat and whether they are harmful to humans or pets.
They’re here…
Parts of Tennessee are starting to see the emergence of Brood XIX cicadas, which have been dormant for the past 13 years. The brood wasn’t expected to emerge in Tennessee until around mid-May, but people around Middle Tennessee have already started to see their presence. It isn’t mass screaming droves just yet, but the bugs are coming.
Not all of Tennessee will have to deal with the cicadas like it does with the 17-year periodical cicadas, according to the University of Tennessee Extension. Only about 18 counties, mainly in Middle and East Tennessee, will see the insects of the 13-year brood.
Photos of the cicadas’ emergence have begun to circulate on social media. Have you spotted signs of Brood XIX yet?
Where have cicadas emerged in Tennessee?
So far they have been spotted in the Nashville, Middle Tennessee areas.
People have also posted about the emergence on social sites like Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter. Many with the comment, “They’re baaaaack”.
According to Cicadamania.com the following Tennessee counties are expected to see cicadas this year: Blount, Cheatham, Clay, Davidson, Grundy, Hamilton, Jackson, Loudon, Macon, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Putnam, Rutherford, Sequatchie, Smith, Stewart and Summer.
Check out where Broods XIX, XIII will emerge in Tennessee, U.S.
The cicada broods will emerge in a combined 17 states across the Southeast and Midwest, with an overlap in parts of Illinois and Iowa. They will emerge once soil eight inches underground reaches 64 degrees. Take a look at exactly where the insects will emerge with this interactive map from USA TODAY.
How long are Brood XIX cicadas expected to be around?
The 13-year cicadas are expected to keep us company until about mid-June as the insects scream their hearts out to try and find mates before hibernating once again.
Where can I see the cicadas?
Cicadas are found across all continents, excluding Antarctica, and appear in deserts, forests and even urban areas. Much of the South is use to hearing annual cicadas during the summer months, but brood’s like Brood XIX are considered periodical cicadas since they only come around every 13 years.
Where else are cicadas emerging? Chicago? South Carolina?
Southern states are more likely to see the emergence of cicadas early on due to the warmer climate. But there isn’t a perfect science behind what day exactly members of Brood XIX and XII will emerge from the ground, because it is weather dependent.
People in South Carolina have reported seeing the emergence of cicadas, as well as in parts of Arkansas.
How can I send my cicada photos to The Tennessean?
Email your photos to trending reporter and digital producer Joyce Orlando at jorlando@gannett.com for them to appear in a future cicada story or gallery.
It appears that transfer Dylan Laible and incumbent Jordyn Potts will carry out their competition to determine Tennessee Tech’s starting quarterback into the fall.
Liable never played a snap for Missouri, one reason the former walk-on transferred to Tennessee Tech.
From all indications, he had an excellent spring, and in the spring game threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Yates.
Yates’ name may sound familiar.
He played three years at Georgia Tech, where he was a quarterback, before transferring to Sam Houston State. Yates will be a wide receiver for the Golden Eagles.
In 2021, Yates made six starts with the Yellow Jackets, completing 91 of 153 passes for 908 yards and six touchdowns, while also rushing for 82 yards and two touchdowns on 64 carries. In his first season with Sam Houston State, he ran 44 times for 195 yards and a touchdown, while passing for 265 yards on 32 completions.
Before matriculating to Missouri, Laible put up tremendous numbers at Hutchinson Junior College in Kansas. In 2022, he completed 161 of 281 passes for 2,182 yards and 22 touchdowns as he helped the team reach the 2022 NJCAA National Championship as Hutchinson went 11-1. In 2021, he completed 157 of 282 passes for 2,849 yards and 32 touchdowns to lead HCC to a 9-2 record, including a 66-34 win over Hinds CC in the Salt City Bowl.
The Golden Eagles also return running back Justin Pegues (91 carries for 387 yards) along with leading receiving Brad Clark (42 catches for 491 yards).
Veteran tight end Hunter Barnhart is also a key piece of the puzzle for Tennessee Tech.
All things are relative considering Georgia’s offense will by far be the best Tennessee Tech sees all year.
The Golden Eagles struggled in their opening two games last fall, giving up 45 points in a loss at Furman and 56 in a loss at New Mexico.
With the first two games of 2024 being against Middle Tennessee State and Georgia, expect similar numbers.
The Golden Eagles did add a pair of transfer defensive backs in James Edwards (Appalachian State) and Ty Moss (East Carolina), but expecting this group to hold up against Georgia the first Saturday in September? It’s liable to get ugly.
Let’s make no pretense.
Tennessee Tech is simply schedule fodder for the Bulldogs. Per an open records request, the program is receiving $550,000 for making the trip to Athens.
Although some fans may groan, games against the likes of Tennessee Tech are important for Kirby Smart.
No. 1, Smart has always said he believes games against non-Power Five teams are important because they supplement the budgets of the smaller schools. If such programs were to fade away, that’s fewer opportunities for young men to go and play the game.
No. 2, Smart likes these games because it enables him to get his younger players experience that will serve them well later on in the year.
CHATTANOOGA – Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes said he loves Jonas Aidoo but he hurts that he left the Vols and transferred to Arkansas.
“Honestly, I don’t want to sound crass about it, but you move on,” Barnes said at the Big Orange Caravan at the Chattanooga Convention Center on Wednesday. “When you lose somebody, your mindset has to be, ‘Well, maybe we can improve somewhere.’
“But we believe in the University of Tennessee. We know this: There’s a lot of people who want to play for us.”
Aidoo, a 6-foot-11 forward, entered the transfer portal after an All-SEC season on UT’s Elite Eight team. On Monday, he committed to transferring to Arkansas, where he’ll play for new coach John Calipari.
Barnes said there were no hard feelings toward Aidoo or any player that left UT.
“We obviously have great love and respect for Jonas,” Barnes said. “We’ve watched him grow in our program. But again, he felt like he may want to play a different style, a different way.”
The 2024-25 SEC schedule hasn’t been released, but Arkansas and Tennessee are expected to play each other. Of course, Calipari is familiar with Aidoo from his time at Kentucky.
Rick Barnes: ‘It hurts. It always does.’
Aidoo was among four UT players that entered the portal. Redshirt freshman guard Freddie Dilione transferred to Penn State. Redshirt freshman guard D.J. Jefferson transferred to Longwood. And on Monday, sophomore forward Tobe Awaka committed to transfer to Arizona.
“Throughout my years in coaching, you have to be willing to adapt,” Barnes said. “But it hurts. It always does when you feel like you’ve really worked hard with a young person, and you get them to a point.
“But you also understand it. Believe me, we totally understand it.”
UT also has added players from the portal. It got 6-11 forward Felix Okpara from Ohio State, 6-10 forward Igor Milicic from Charlotte and 6-8 guard Darlinstone Dubar from Hofstra. And the Vols aren’t done reloading their roster.
What Barnes likes about Felix Okpara, the Vols’ newest big man
Barnes was quick to praise Okpara, one of the replacements for Aidoo and Awaka.
And this Big Orange Caravan stop was well suited for that because Okpara played nearby at Hamilton Heights in Chattanooga before spending his final prep year at Link Academy in Branson, Missouri.
“(Okpara) brings us a physicality that we love to have, that we haven’t consistently had there,” Barnes said. “With what we’ve seen and the way we evaluated him, I think he’s got some untapped ability offensively.
“He runs. He’s strong. And being around him, he’s impressed me with the fact that he’s got a real competitive edge about him. That’s going to fit in well with our guys.”
Okpara averaged 5.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 70 games in two seasons at Ohio State. He started 45 games and entrenched himself as the starting forward as a sophomore, when averaged 6.6 points and 6.4 rebounds while blocking 82 shots.
“He’s like a lot of guys his size,” Barnes said. “He’s just kind of scratching the surface in terms of where he can be. But he showed us he can do a lot. We’re going to try get him to do more than maybe he thinks he can.”
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
At least 2,000 people arrested at pro-Palestinian protests on US campuses, AP tally shows
Dreamz Two Reality basketball game to showcase Detroit’s hoop talents – WDET 101.9 FM
EXCLUSIVE: Black San Francisco man finds doll with noose around neck at his home
Earlier impacts from Kyrie Irving have Dallas Mavericks on doorstep of second round
Snakes discovered in passenger’s pants by TSA at Miami International Airport: See photos
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
At least 2 dead as tornadoes hit Alabama, damage homes across Southeast
Trump slams 'radical left lunatics' creating chaos on college campuses nationwide
In the upcoming European elections, peace and security matter the most
Police enter UCLA anti-war encampment; Arizona repeals Civil War-era abortion ban
The White House has a new curator. Donna Hayashi Smith is the first Asian American to hold the post
Arizona Senate repeals near-total 1864 abortion ban in divisive vote
-
News1 week agoLarry Webb’s deathbed confession solves 2000 cold case murder of Susan and Natasha Carter, 10, whose remains were found hours after he died
-
Education1 week agoVideo: Dozens of Yale Students Arrested as Campus Protests Spread
-
News1 week agoFirst cargo ship passes through new channel since Baltimore bridge collapse
-
World1 week agoHaiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigns, transitional council takes power
-
World1 week agoUS secretly sent long-range ATACMS weapons to Ukraine
-
World1 week agoSpanish PM Pedro Sanchez suspends public duties to 'reflect'
-
News1 week agoAmerican Airlines passenger alleges discrimination over use of first-class restroom
-
World1 week agoAsia bears biggest climate-change brunt amid extreme weather: WMO