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By Nora Eckert and David Shepardson
DETROIT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Employees at a Mercedes Benz (ETR:) manufacturing unit in Vance, Alabama, filed a petition with U.S. regulators to carry an election to hitch the United Auto Employees, the union mentioned on Friday.
The SUV plant is the second to file an election petition with the Nationwide Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in latest weeks. Reuters beforehand reported that Mercedes employees in Alabama would file an election petition with the NLRB as quickly as this week.
The UAW mentioned a “supermajority” of the greater than 5,000 eligible Mercedes employees on the plant signed playing cards to hitch the union. The UAW hopes for a vote by early Might.
The elections come after months of organizing efforts at greater than a dozen non-union automakers owned by international firms like Hyundai Motor (OTC:) and Toyota Motor (NYSE:), in addition to EV makers like Tesla (NASDAQ:) and Rivian (NASDAQ:).
After securing document contracts for the Detroit Three – Normal Motors (NYSE:), Ford (NYSE:) and Stellantis (NYSE:) – UAW President Shawn Fain pledged to perform a aim the labor group has failed at repeatedly over the previous few a long time: welcoming a brand new automaker to its unionized ranks.
The UAW’s newest efforts come at a time when it has an ally within the White Home. President Joe Biden, who final fall joined a UAW picket line in Michigan – a key battleground state on this fall’s election – has backed UAW efforts to prepare the nonunion automakers.
In Chattanooga, Tennessee, employees at a Volkswagen (ETR:) plant had been first to petition for a UAW vote, which is anticipated to be finalized by April 19. UAW organizers have twice misplaced a vote at that plant, narrowly lacking a majority in 2014 and 2019. There have additionally been failed makes an attempt at vegetation owned by Japanese automaker Nissan (OTC:).
Union officers have claimed in filings to federal regulators that some automakers are retaliating towards employees or encumbering their makes an attempt to prepare. The labor group on Wednesday filed expenses towards Mercedes for violating Germany’s new regulation on international provide chain practices, which prohibits German firms from disregarding employees’ rights to type commerce unions.
The corporate responded to among the union’s expenses, saying they’re inaccurate. It additionally mentioned the corporate acknowledges its staff’ rights to prepare.
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