UAW objects to Mercedes vote and accuses company of intimidating workers

MONTGOMERY, Alabama. The United Auto Workers on Friday accused Mercedes of interfering in a union election at two Alabama plants, intimidating and coercing workers into voting no.

A week after Mercedes workers voted against joining the union, the labor group filed an objection to the National Labor Relations Board seeking a new vote. The union accused the company of engaging in a “relentless anti-union campaign marked by illegal discipline, illegal captive audience meetings, and an overall aim to coerce and intimidate employees.”

“More than 2,000 Mercedes workers voted yes to win their union after an illegal and unprecedented anti-union campaign carried out against them by their employer. What this tells us is that in a fair fight, where Mercedes is held accountable for following the law, 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’s what we’re asking for here. Let’s vote for Mercedes in Alabama, where the company is not allowed to fire people, is not allowed to intimidate people, and is not allowed to break the law and its own corporate code, and let the workers decide.”

A Mercedes-Benz spokesperson emailed a company statement stating that more than 90 percent of team members voted in the election and that “the majority have indicated they are not interested in being represented by the UAW for collective bargaining purposes.” ”.

“Our goal throughout this process was to ensure that every eligible team member had the opportunity to participate in a fair election. We sincerely hope that the UAW would respect the decision of our team members. During the election, we worked with the NLRB to adhere to the its guidelines and will continue to do so as we work through this process,” the statement read.

Workers 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 decisive victory at the 4,300-worker Volkswagen assembly plant in Chattanooga , Tennessee.

The union document 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 workers to attend anti-union meetings with a captive audience and display anti-union propaganda, while prohibiting the distribution of union materials and paraphernalia in non-work-related areas, according to the objection.

The union said the company, or its representatives, interviewed workers about union support, suggested that voting for the union would be futile, attacked union supporters with drug tests, and “engaged in conduct that deliberately sought to exacerbate racial feelings for through irrelevant and inflammatory appeals to racial discrimination.” prejudice.”

A spokeswoman for the National Labor Relations Board confirmed that an objection had been filed. Kayla Blado, a spokeswoman for the NLRB, said the regional director will review the objections and may order a hearing. If it is determined that the employer’s conduct affected the election, a new election could be ordered, she said.