The Hidden Battle: Post-Unionization Struggles of Volkswagen’s Chattanooga’s Workers

This decision-based critical incident (CI) highlights the monumental union victory led by Shawn Fain, the United Auto Workers (UAW) president, at Volkswagen’s (VW) Chattanooga plant in Tennessee. This victory, which challenged the status quo of labor relations in the South of the USA, is a significant event in the history of labor relations. The CI explores the unique challenges faced by VW, a company renowned for its robust labor force, due to the contrasting labor policies in the US and Germany. In the aftermath of the unionization, Fain is supposed to safeguard the workers' rights and ensure their voices are heard in the organization. The CI delves into how Fain can effectively utilize the power of collective bargaining to uphold his commitments to the workers, underscoring the importance of this victory in the labor movement. This CI is relevant for senior undergraduate and graduate courses in Labor Relations, Human Resource Management, and Business Ethics. It requires students to make strategic decisions based on the information provided.