The United Auto Workers union has for the first time been recognised at a foreign-owned car factory in the American south.

UAW was certified to represent at least 45% of Volkswagen workers at its Chattanooga auto plant in Tennessee following an audit of union membership. This ends a streak of UAW failures to unionize workers at foreign-owned auto plants in the US.

It also gives the UAW the ability to regularly meet with Volkswagen’s management at its only factory in the US. If the union can attract at least 50% of Volkswagen workers, it will be recognized as the company’s exclusive bargaining agent.

The plant employs about 1,500 blue-collar workers.

“As anticipated, we surpassed the highest level under Volkswagen’s new Community Organization Engagement policy, and the local leadership is ready to move forward with additional conversations with the company,” UAW secretary-treasurer Gary Casteel said in a statement.

UAW is also working to unionize a Mercedes-Benz plant and two Nissan plants in the south. The union hopes that the developments at Volkswagen will create momentum for the efforts in other states.

In February, UAW lost a vote to represent Volkswagen workers after state lawmakers, including governor Bill Haslam, threatened to rescind incentives offered to Volkswagen if a majority voted in favor of the union.

This 45% vote meets threshold standards set by Volkswagen’s Community Organization Engagement labor policy. If a union attracts 15% of its auto workers, the union can use Volkswagen meeting rooms and meet with management monthly. The 30% mark allows unions to meet executives quarterly, and the 45% mark allows the unions to meet biweekly with company management and executives.

The American Council of Employees has also tried to organize Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga but has not formally applied to represent the company’s workers.