America's Work Force Union Podcast

Tennessee’s “Right to Work” amendment driven by corporate interests

Written by awfblog | December 7, 2022

UA Local 538 Business Manager Randy Frye joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the passage of Amendment 1, which enshrined So-Called “Right to Work” laws in the Tennessee Constitution.

Local 538 represents just under 400 workers in East Tennessee and Western Virginia. 

Frye said the anti-union sentiment that drove voters to approve the amendment by a more than 2-to-1 margin was driven by politicians who were in the pocket of big business. He talked about the challenge of organizing under Tennessee’s So-called “Right to Work” laws and growing union membership across the Local. 

Frye also spoke about an expansion of the Local’s HVAC-R service technician apprenticeship program, as well as the upcoming work outlook for his members, which includes a new casino and an Army ammunition plant.

Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.