The United Auto Workers union was rejected by autoworkers at an Alabama Mercedes-Benz plant on Friday, possibly putting a stop to the quickly expanding wave of autoworker organizing in the southern United States.

It was a tight outcome. Mercedes-Benz reports that of the workers who cast valid ballots, 44% voted in favor of unionization and 56% voted against it. On Friday, the National Labor Relations Board declared that over 5,000 people were eligible to vote.

The UAW hoped to capitalize on its strong momentum following the Alabama vote, as its choice to launch a simultaneous “stand-up strike” against the Big Three automakers garnered never-before-seen attention and record contracts for workers. Additionally, it triumphed in a union ballot held at a Chattanooga, Tennessee, Volkswagen plant last month—its first win in three efforts to unionize the firm.

The UAW had changed its approach to a membership drive in non-unionized firms, many of which are found in the American South, under the leadership of Shawn Fain, a relatively young UAW president.

The profit margins for the German, Japanese, and Korean manufacturers were “obscenely more gross than they were at the Big Three, and yet their workers get less,” according to Fain in a March interview with Car & Driver.

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“I firmly believe that this year will witness a significant change. In the interview, he declared, “I think we’re going to win in the South.”

Nonetheless, Fain stated during a press conference on Friday that the union will “carry on and keep on fighting” and that setbacks are a necessary part of the process.

“Although we weren’t happy with the outcome today, I’m really proud of these employees.” We march on, keeping our heads held high,” Fain remarked.

Fain claimed that the Alabama workers “won serious gains in this campaign” in an email statement on Friday. According to Fain, they increased pay through the “UAW bump,” which occurred when non-union businesses offered raises to non-unionized workers in an effort to compete for union contracts. A new CEO from Alabama was also appointed by Mercedes-Benz before the election.

Before the elections, according to Fain, Mercedes urged staff members to give the incoming CEO a chance.

“In 2019, Volkswagen informed its employees precisely that. Furthermore, VW employees understood in 2024 that the issue wasn’t with the CEO. It’s about regaining our time and our voice at work, as well as our lives. A union contract is the only way to accomplish it,” he stated.

Following a news conference in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on May 17, 2024, David Johnston, a Mercedes employee, praises UAW President Shawn Fain. This was after employees at two Mercedes-Benz factories in Alabama overwhelmingly voted against joining the United Auto Workers union.

“Our goal throughout this process was to ensure every eligible team member had the opportunity to participate in a fair election,” Mercedes-Benz US International stated in a statement.

“At MBUSI, our top priority is always to give our team members a secure and encouraging work environment so they can create world-class vehicles.” The statement went on, “We are excited to keep working closely with our team members to make sure MBUSI is not just their preferred employer but also a place they would suggest to friends and family.

Employees were under pressure.

In a joint statement released in April, the governors of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas warned that the union effort might endanger both the jobs of workers and the South’s auto industry. The announcement was made the day before VW employees cast ballots to become members of the UAW.

In actuality, businesses have options over where to locate their investments, create jobs, and provide opportunities. We have devoted many hours to bringing well-paying jobs to our states on behalf of our constituents. According to the statement, these positions are now a fundamental component of the car manufacturing sector.

Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama declared in a statement on Friday that the state is “committed to keeping it that way” and that “automotive manufacturing is one of Alabama’s crown jewel industries.”

“Vance employees have spoken, and their voice is clear! Ivey stated in the statement, “Alabama is not Michigan, and we are not the UAW’s Sweet Home.

The UAW claims that Mercedes retaliated against unionization attempts in different ways.

Since March, Mercedes-Benz has been accused by the UAW six times of unfair labor practices, according to the National Labor Relations Board, which has said that it is investigating the allegations.

The UAW has accused Mercedes of disciplining workers for talking about unionization at work, forbidding the distribution of union materials, spying on workers, and making workers attend “captive audience meetings,” which are required meetings held during working hours with the intention of discouraging workers from organizing.

Asserting that the company “has not interfered with or retaliated against any team member in their right to pursue union representation,” Mercedes-Benz US International issued a statement refuting these allegations. The statement went on, “We look forward to presenting our case to the NLRB and we do not believe these claims have merit.”

Alabama Mercedes-Benz workers reject unionization, dealing a blow to the powerful UAW campaign.

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