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Mercedes Workers in Alabama Vote 56%-44% Against Joining UAW, 2,642 to 2,045

May 17, 2024, 07:50 PM

In a significant development for labor organizing in the South, workers at two Mercedes-Benz factories in Vance and Woodstock, Alabama have voted against joining the United Auto Workers (UAW). The vote, which saw 2,642 against and 2,045 in favor, resulted in a 56% to 44% rejection of union representation from a pool of 5,075 eligible workers. This outcome represents a major setback for the UAW, which had recently achieved a victory at a Volkswagen plant in Tennessee. The vote was heavily influenced by an aggressive anti-union campaign led by Mercedes and supported by state politicians, including Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. The German government has also launched an investigation into Mercedes' union-busting tactics. Despite the loss, UAW President Shawn Fain and other union leaders have expressed their determination to continue their efforts to organize workers in the region.