Tuscaloosa, Alabama, May 19, 2024 – The United Auto Workers (UAW) union has suffered a setback in its efforts to organize workers at two Mercedes plants in Alabama. According to voting results released on Friday, May 17, 56% of workers voted against UAW representation. 92% of eligible workers participated in the vote, casting a total of 4,687 ballots.
This vote is a significant blow to the UAW’s efforts to expand its influence beyond the Big Three automakers. The union has weak representation in southern states like Alabama, and this defeat further highlights this challenge.
In April, the UAW succeeded in organizing Volkswagen workers in the US after a third attempt. Efforts are currently underway to organize workers at Toyota in Kentucky and Hyundai in Alabama.
The UAW was encouraged by last year’s successful strike against General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis, which resulted in better working conditions and a 25% wage increase for 150,000 autoworkers in the US.
However, the outcome of the Mercedes vote suggests that the labor movement in the US faces obstacles in organizing workers in southern states and at non-US automakers.
Source: AP News
