Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has weighed in on the ongoing autoworkers union debate, saying a union for Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga is a bad idea.

Just before the vote was defeated — the second time since 2019 that unionization at the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has happened — Lee said it's not in the interest of any political party.

“I think it would be a huge mistake for workers to jeopardize their future by giving up their freedom to make their own decisions and entrusting it to negotiators who represent them. I also think it would be a mistake for them to vote to join a union. We've seen unions decline in many places across this country over the past few decades,” Lee said.

“And we've seen factories that have decided to unionize close down, so I hope that doesn't happen here. Every worker has an interest in their wages, their working conditions and their safety, and I believe that only the workers themselves can decide what that condition is. Let's encourage workers to decide for themselves and have control over it.”

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Isaac Meadows, a Volkswagen assembly worker and one of the volunteers pushing for unionization, WTVC in Tennessee Similarly:

“We are working to form a union to build a more sustainable future for VW workers and their families. We know we can improve our jobs in a way that helps the long-term success of our community here in Chattanooga. This is our decision, not the decision of people who don't work at the plant. We won't let politicians tell us what to do,” Meadows said.

The UAW has announced that union votes will take place on April 17th, 18th and 19th.

Michael Browner is a senior sports analyst and contributor to Yellow Hammer News. You can follow him on Twitter. translation: