Long haul unionism: southern labor history and the struggle to organize Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tennessee

In April 2024, workers at Volkswagen's huge plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, voted overwhelmingly to join the United Auto Workers. The victory was highly-significant; the union had organized the first foreign-owned automaker in the South after decades of trying. A breakthrough in a sector responsible for half of North American auto production, this "seismic victory" was widely-reported. This article probes the reasons for the union's victory, advancing the concept of "long haul unionism" to understand it. While media accounts stressed short-term factors – including the UAW's recent revival and a wider post-pandemic labor upsurge – I argue that it also occurred because of the union's long haul strategy. The UAW had been trying to organize the plant since 2010, losing elections in 2014 and 2019. Undeterred, it stayed on the ground, gradually overcoming its "outsider" label. It also focused effectively on workers' demands for a stronger voice in the plant. The victory illustrated how southern organizing often required sustained effort over many years, something highlighted by previous union fights, including Operation Dixie in the 1940s and the J.P. Stevens campaign of the 1970s. As such, the win needs to be understood in the context of history – not just contemporary conditions.