The United Automotive Employees (UAW) has filed a petition to carry a brand new election at a Mercedes-Benz manufacturing unit in Alabama, after the corporate’s staff voted in opposition to becoming a member of the union final week.
In a union election held on the Mercedes manufacturing unit in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, held final week, 56 p.c of staff voted in opposition to UAW membership, although the union accused the automaker of union-busting ways and signage encouraging workers to vote no. On Friday, the UAW formally filed a petition with the Nationwide Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to carry a brand new election on the manufacturing unit, citing a “relentless anti-union marketing campaign,” based on a report from Automotive Information.
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The submitting additionally alleges that Mercedes fired workers who have been pro-union and held common anti-union conferences.
“We sincerely hoped the UAW would respect our staff members’ resolution,” mentioned a Mercedes-Benz spokesperson. “All through the election, we labored with the NLRB to stick to its pointers and we’ll proceed to take action as we work by way of this course of.”
Within the latest election, 56 p.c of the roughly 4,687 votes forged have been in opposition to the Mercedes plant recognizing the UAW.
The election adopted an identical union election at a Volkswagen manufacturing unit in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the place staff about 73 p.c of workers voted in favor of becoming a member of the UAW final month. It additionally comes after the UAW launched union campaigns at Tesla, Toyota, Hyundai, Rivian, and 9 others—together with Volkswagen and Mercedes.
Final 12 months, the UAW held six-week strikes in opposition to Ford, Normal Motors (GM), and Stellantis, in the end garnering file wage will increase for workers in contract negotiations. After a lot hypothesis that the UAW would set its sights on Tesla, the union formally launched the up to date campaigns in November.
On the time, UAW President Shawn Fain had additionally referred to as staff at Tesla and Toyota “members of the long run,” later saying that he hoped to see a “Large 5 or Six” on the bargaining desk in 2028, as a substitute of simply the Large Three.
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