Members and supporters of the United Auto Workers (UAW) line up on a picket line outside the ZF Chassis Systems plant on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA.
Andy Rice | Bloomberg | Getty Images
According to the NLRB, which oversaw the election, union organizing failed as 2,642 workers, or 56% of the vote, opposed the UAW. According to the results, more than 90% of Mercedes-Benz’s 5,075 eligible employees voted in the election.
The NLRB said 51 votes were contested and not counted, but they do not determine the outcome of the election. There were 5 invalid votes.
The union and company will have five business days to file objections to the election, including allegations of interference, the NLRB said. If no objections are filed, the election results will be certified and unions will have to wait one year before filing union elections for similar bargaining units.
Mercedes-Benz said in a statement that company officials “continue to work directly with our team members and [Mercedes-Benz US International] Not only is the company their employer of choice, but it’s also a place they would recommend to their friends and family. ”
United Auto Workers President Sean Fein (right) leads a march outside Stellantis’ Ram 1500 plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan, after the union called for a strike at the plant on October 23, 2023. and UAW Secretary and Treasurer Margaret Mock (left).
Michael Weiland/CNBC
Thirteen nonunion U.S. automakers launched an unprecedented organizing campaign late last year after securing record contracts with Detroit automakers Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Stellantis. The loss is expected to be a blow to the UAW. These agreements included significant wage increases, reinstatement of cost-of-living adjustments, and other benefits.
UAW President Sean Fein said the Mercedes-Benz vote was clearly not the result the union wanted, but it was a valiant effort, adding that the vote was not a “failure” but a “hard road.” .
“This loss hurts, but let me say this: We are going to keep our heads up and keep our heads up. These workers are proud of the effort they put in and the things they accomplished. There’s nothing to do but be proud,” he said at a media conference on Friday. “We fought a good fight, and we’re going to keep moving forward. In the end, the workers here will win.”
The Mercedes-Benz vote was expected to be tougher for the union than at the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee. Unions already had an established presence in Tennessee after two failed organizing efforts in the past decade..
Employees at Mercedes-Benz’s Tuscaloosa plant, located about 90 miles southwest of Birmingham, have produced more than 4 million vehicles since the plant opened in 1997, and by 2023, according to the plant’s website. Including 295,000 units.
The Alabama plant currently produces vehicles such as the gas-powered GLE and GLS Maybach SUVs and the all-electric EQS and EQE SUVs.
The NLRB announced last week that it is continuing to process and investigate unresolved unfair labor practice complaints filed by the UAW against automakers. This includes six unfair labor practice charges against Mercedes-Benz since March.
According to the complaint, Mercedes-Benz “disciplined employees who discussed unionizing in the workplace, prohibited the distribution of union materials and paraphernalia, surveilled employees, fired union supporters, and imprisoned employees.” “He forced the union to attend a meeting in which he had been arrested, and made statements suggesting that union activities were futile.” ” the NLRB said.
The union has filed other charges against automakers Honda, Hyundai, Lucid, Rivian, Tesla and Toyota, according to the NLRB.
