Chattanooga, Tennessee - United Auto Workers members in Chattanooga have voted to authorize a strike at Volkswagen's only US assembly plant.

The union said on Wednesday that members had approved the strike authorization without providing the vote count. More than a two-thirds majority was necessary to green light a potential walkout.

"I don’t want to strike, but if it comes to it, I will," Volkswagen worker Mitchell Harris said in a statement. "Because I feel that all my brothers and sisters of UAW Local 42 deserve respect, to provide a better life for their families, and have job security for us and generations to come."

VW workers in Chattanooga voted 73% in favor of unionizing with the UAW in April 2024. Since then, negotiations have stalled as the union has accused the company of cutting jobs and seeking to intimidate employees.

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VW walked away from contract negotiations in September after presenting what it called its "final offer" to workers. According to the union, many employees are dissatisfied with the lack of adequate job security guarantees needed to protect them from plant closures, outsourcing, or the sale of the Chattanooga facility.

"I'm voting yes because this is the time to show Volkswagen we are serious about receiving industry-standard treatment. Job security's essential. They could pay us $100 an hour, but it means nothing if they close the plant two weeks into the agreement," said a worker named James Robinson.

"I'm hoping this process shows the company we are serious about getting a fair contract. We will show them their offer wasn't enough, show them we're willing to stand up to get what we deserve."

UAW said the German carmaker made $20.6 billion in profits in 2024, with 20% of those profits generated in North America.