'Keeps the momentum': What the UAW's Volkswagen win means for its organizing campaign

A previous push to unionize the Mercedes workers was scrapped before a vote could be taken in 2014. A UAW presence in the Tuscaloosa area never really left after that, with a union local taking root in the city back then, Innis-Jiménez said.

The organizing itself looks different this time around, he said. Before, UAW officials who came into town from the outside led the effort; now, it's more grassroots with many Black workers at the facility taking the lead.

"The big difference between this one and the last one is that this has been very rank-and-file," the professor said. Still, he expects a strong anti-union campaign that will ramp up in the coming weeks, including mailers, billboards — some are already on the highway near the plant — and opposition from conservative politicians.

Robinson noted that VW workers overwhelmingly voted to organize even after Republican governors from six states issued a joint statement last week against the union: "It was completely ineffective. It gave Biden and the Democrats a win."

The UAW has committed $40 million to organize auto and electric vehicle battery plants through 2026. Still, it'll be an investment and slog to get a foothold at each plant and each manufacturer — each with different views about unions, and approaches to fending off their encroachment. At some automakers, like Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co., the UAW might be a tough sell because both carmakers have a reputation for compensating workers well.

“It’s going to depend on the multinational corporations,” Wheaton said, “and if they try to block it, and what the tactics or strategies are.”

There may be signs of potential opportunities for the UAW at plants perceived to be a greater challenge, though, Robinson said. As Tesla Inc. mechanics in Sweden strike for a contract, the Texas-based electric vehicle maker is laying off more than 10% of its workforce and has seen its stock drop as EV adoption rates have failed to keep up with industry expectations.

“There may be more interest than before at Tesla,” Robinson said.

Taking advantage of conversations with coworkers during the workday about unionizing played a big part in the successful vote at Volkswagen, Peoples said: “It’s hard when you’re worrying about getting the job done, making a great product and have other concerns.

“We wanted a voice to be able to improve our work conditions and improve our safety that aren’t being addressed. Talk to people you never thought you would to inside the plant. This is our future we’re talking about.”

(Detroit News staff writers Grant Schwab and Kalea Hall contributed.)