UAW files objection to Mercedes vote, accuses company of intimidating workers
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The United Auto Workers accused Mercedes on Friday of meddling in union elections at two Alabama plants by intimidating workers and forcing them to vote no.
A week after Mercedes workers voted against joining the union, the labor group filed an appeal with the National Labor Relations Board. The union accused the company of engaging in a “relentless anti-union campaign characterized by unlawful discipline, unlawful public gatherings and a general purpose of coercing and intimidating employees.”
“More than 2,000 Mercedes workers have voted in favor of their union’s victory after an unprecedented, illegal anti-union campaign waged against them by their employer. What that tells us is that in a fair fight, where Mercedes is held accountable for following the law, the workers will win their union,” the UAW said in a statement.
“All these workers ever wanted was a fair chance to have a voice at work and a say in their working conditions. And that is what we are asking for here. Let’s vote for Mercedes in Alabama, where the company can’t fire people, can’t intimidate people, can’t break the law and their own corporate code, and let the employees decide.”
A Mercedes-Benz spokesperson emailed a company statement saying that more than 90% of team members had voted in favor of the election, and that a “majority indicated they were not interested in representation by the UAW for the purpose of collective bargaining.”
“Our goal throughout this process was to ensure that every eligible team member had the opportunity to participate in a fair election. We sincerely hoped that the UAW would respect our team members’ decision. Throughout the election, we worked with the NLRB worked together to adhere to its guidelines and we will continue to do so as we move through this process,” the statement said.
Employees at Mercedes battery and assembly plants near Tuscaloosa voted 56% against the union. The result dealt a setback to the union in its efforts to unionize workers at auto plants in the Deep South. The defeat in Alabama came a month after the UAW won a breakthrough victory at Volkswagen’s 4,300-employee assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The union filing said four pro-union employees were fired, and the company allowed anti-union employees to “request support during work hours, but prohibited pro-union employees from requesting support during work hours.”
The company also required employees to attend anti-union meetings and displayed anti-union propaganda, while banning the distribution of union materials and paraphernalia in non-work areas, the objection said.
The union said the company, or its representatives, questioned workers about union support, suggested that union voting would be futile, targeted union supporters with drug tests and “engaged in conduct that deliberately sought to aggravate racial sentiments through irrelevant and inflammatory calls for racial feelings.” prejudice.”
A spokeswoman for the National Labor Relations Board confirmed that an appeal had been filed.