Workers at a Volkswagen AG plant in Tennessee voted to authorize a strike after more than a year of negotiations has failed to yield an agreement, the United Auto Workers said Wednesday evening.

In April 2024, workers at the Chattanooga Assembly Plant voted 73% in favor of joining the Detroit-based union — the first foreign-owned plant in the South to organize.

This week's vote is also a historic first, the union said in its announcement, "as the first strike authorization vote at a non-Big Three automaker in the modern era."

The vote authorizes the union to call a strike if it deems necessary, though it's not certain that one will occur. The union said no strike date has been set and the UAW bargaining committee is requesting more negotiations with VW management. The plant builds the ID.4 electric vehicle and the gas-powered Atlas SUV.

"Despite the UAW’s decision to authorize a strike, our commitment to our workforce and to reaching a fair agreement remains unchanged," the automaker said in a statement from spokesperson Jeannine Ginivan. "We have a strong final offer on the table with substantial benefits for our employees that the UAW refused to bring to a vote. Disruption will only further delay a resolution without guaranteeing a better contract."

VW added that if a strike is called it would ensure that "any employees who choose to do so can come to work safely and will continue to receive their full pay and benefits."

Last month, Volkswagen sent over what it called its "final offer" to the union, which included a 20% raise over four years, a first cost-of-living allowance, ratification bonus, and improved time-off provisions. The automaker urged the union to allow members to vote on it, and accused the union of not allowing workers to see all the details.

The UAW says that offer doesn't include job security language that's needed to protect workers from plant closures, outsourcing or the sale of the Chattanooga plant. Union officials previously said they were also seeking additional movement on health care and wages, and noted they sent a counterproposal earlier this month.

The union also has recently accused the automaker of bad-faith negotiations and intimidation, and criticized the company for recent job cuts at the plant.

After the union's big organizing win at the VW plant, further efforts in the South have stalled, including after a failed vote at a Mercedes-Benz AG plant in Alabama.

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