Republicans have lined up to fight unions in Tennessee. As a matter of fact, Governor Bill Lee recently stated he believes it would be a mistake for workers at the VW plant in Chattanooga to unionize with the United Autoworkers. I respectfully and vehemently disagree with the governor. 

According to a December 15, 2021 report by the Economic Policy Institute, “Unions promote economic equality and build worker power, helping workers to win increases in pay, better benefits and safer working conditions.”

The positive effects of unions actually spill over to non-unionized workplaces. Some of the benefits all workers can thank unions for are:

• The 8-hour work day
• Unemployment benefits
• Workers Compensation Laws
• Employer provided health coverage
• Child labor laws

According to an August 28, 2023 story on Labor Unions and the U.S. Economy published by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, unions helped close the race and gender gap in wages.  Additionally, union members generally vote more often than non-union members and union members are more likely to donate to charity, attend community meetings and volunteer for an organization. 

For these reasons and more, I strongly support our labor unions.