New Jersey VW Workers Join UAW, First on East Coast to Unionize

Cranbury, NJ – Volkswagen Workers Push for Unionization on the East Coast

Employees at Volkswagen's significant distribution hub in New Jersey have taken a notable step by filing to unionize with the United Auto Workers (UAW), marking them as the first VW workers on the East Coast to do so. This move comes on the heels of a successful union campaign at Volkswagen's Chattanooga, Tennessee plant, where over 4,000 workers secured their union nearly a year ago. Now, the New Jersey facility becomes VW's second U.S. site to organize with the UAW within the last year.

UAW President Shawn Fain emphasized the importance of unions in the auto industry, stating, “Every autoworker in America deserves a union. Volkswagen workers made history in Chattanooga last April, and now, New Jersey VW workers are stepping up. We won’t stop until every autoworker who wants a union has one.”

Sergio Sumano Jr, a seasoned warehouse employee at the Volkswagen PDC/RDC in New Jersey, expressed aspirations similar to those of their counterparts in Tennessee, noting, “We saw what was going on at the Big Three, and then Volkswagen workers in Tennessee won their union despite pushback from management. Now, it’s our turn. We deserve fair pay, affordable benefits, and a secure retirement – just like every other unionized autoworker in the U.S. If Volkswagen wants to operate in America, they need to treat us with the same dignity as their workers overseas.”

Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, representing New Jersey's 12th district, showed her support for the unionization efforts, commenting, “Operating in New Jersey means operating with full respect for labor law and the rights of working people. I’m proud to stand with the inspiring New Jersey Volkswagen workers unionizing with UAW and telling corporate power that working people will not be brought to heel.”

Dan Vicente, UAW Region 9 Director, remarked on the changing dynamics within the auto industry. “Volkswagen has been getting away with exploiting their U.S. workers for far too long. It’s clear the balance of power is shifting. Autoworkers across the country witnessed workers demanding their due during the Stand Up Strike. When they see what can be won when we unite together, anything is possible.”

With the one-year anniversary of their unionization in Chattanooga approaching, VW workers there continue to seek a pioneering agreement that meets unionized manufacturing standards typical in the U.S., especially in light of Volkswagen's significant profits. Steve Cochran, a UAW member and longtime skilled trades worker at the Chattanooga plant, highlighted the struggle for better workplace conditions, stating, “Volkswagen racked up $24.4 billion in profits in 2023 by paying their large U.S. workforce poverty wages with shameful workplace benefits and conditions. Volkswagen must be held to account for failing for decades to provide good jobs for U.S. workers, and the only way that’s going to happen will be by workers in VW, Tennessee, and elsewhere standing together to take action and demand better. Since we won our union, we’ve won key protections at work including the right to have a voice on the issues that matter most – and now we’re working to negotiate a historic first contract that will finally give Volkswagen workers in the South the same good union standards workers have won at Stellantis, GM, and Ford.”

As the New Jersey workers distribute aftermarket parts nationwide, they will soon join the UAW ranks, becoming the first in VW's distribution sector to do so, contrasting with their Tennessee counterparts who focus on vehicle assembly. Across the nation, UAW members extend an open invitation to all Volkswagen and non-union workers to join their collective effort towards economic and social justice within the automotive landscape.