Working at Volkswagen

Volkswagen’s history in Chattanooga

Plant History Awards

Volkswagen in the Community

More than $3.1 billion in Chattanooga!

Education

• University of Tennessee (UTC)
• Chattanooga State Community College
• Automotive Mechatronics/Robotronics Program

Community

• Tennessee Aquarium
• Chattanooga Food Bank
• River City Clean and Green
• Ronald McDonald House
• Down Syndrome Society
• Chattanooga Symphony and Opera

Environment

• Happinest Wildlife Rescue / Rehab
• Greenspaces

Diversity

• La Paz
• Urban League
• Girls Inc.
• Boys and Girls Club
• Boy Scouts

Other VW-Sponsored Program

• Wolfsburg Vfl Soccer Camp 2018 and 2019
• 16,000 Kids in Volkswagen eLabs at 16 Hamilton County Schools
• Hamilton County Department of Education Mechatronics Akademie (High School Juniors and Seniors)

VW Employee Actions & Events and Voice

2017-2019 Actions & Events

Listening:

• Fixed Shifts
• No Lay Off of Employees
• Hourly & Salary Round Tables
• Inclusion of Temporary Workforce in All Team Meetings
• 530 Conversions from Aerotek to Volkswagen
• Programmed Down Time for StiBam & Leadership Communication
• Self-nomination for Team Leader Selection Process
• Supervisory Forums
• No Pay No Penalty for January and July Shutdowns
• Shuttle Buses
• Night Shift Starting Time Changes

Compensating:

• Outstanding benefits package, including Paid Maternity and Paternity Leave
• Launch Bonuses for Passat and Atlas for all Team Members
• Top Out Bonus for 8 Years of Service
• Salary Increases
• Increased Benefits for Temporary Workforce
• Extensive Perks Program

Recognizing:

• All Employee Appreciation Lunch
• Family Day
• Women Who Rock Award
• Ideas Management payouts

Did you know?

Wages

From the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce:

The average production worker at Volkswagen earns 25% more than the average Chattanooga production worker.

Overtime

NOTE: These numbers vary by work area, and some areas work more than others (including preferred areas like finish). But these are the overall average hours per-head, per-month during Q1:

We continue to work directly with team members to improve our work-life balance.

Recent examples include:

• Shift Schedule– You voted…we listened. We are returning to 4/10 shifts for most areas now that suppliers can keep up based on your direct feedback.
• Shift Hours– You voted…we listened. We adjusted start times for night shift staff to 8 p.m. during our temporary 5/8 schedule based on your direct feedback.
• Shift Rotation – You voted…we listened. We ended shift rotation and granted shift preferences (AM/PM) for the vast majority of employees based on your direct feedback.  Allowing employees to vote their preferences on shifts and rotations is nothing new – we’ve been doing this for years, to make sure your voice is heard.
• Benefits– We added paid maternity, paternity, and adoption leave based on your direct feedback to the Company.
• No Pay/No Penalty– You expressed concerns…we listened. We changed our decision and allowed a No Pay/No Penalty option for our January and July shutdowns based on your direct feedback.
• Peer Review – We have also created a Peer Review Panel that provides terminated employees with an opportunity to request a review of the termination by a random selection of trained and qualified peers. Any eligible, non-management/non-supervisory employee terminated for any violation of Company policy except for violations of workplace violence, substance abuse, and/or harassment-free workplace has the right to appeal the termination to a Peer Review Panel.

Community Organization Engagement– Volkswagen’s COE Policy was created to allow eligible organizations the opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue with Volkswagen Chattanooga and its employees to make improvements that benefit both the Company and its employees. Volkswagen is perhaps the only major employer in the United States to implement such an inclusive and open policy for its employees.

All of this was done working directly together to make this Plant the best it can be.