Workers at the Mercedes-Benz factory in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, have voted against joining the United Automotive Workers (UAW) union, following a successful unionization vote at a Volkswagen plant last month.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced that 56 percent of the 4,687 total votes at the Mercedes-Benz plant were cast against joining the UAW. The results are pending certification by the NLRB. This decision comes after Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tennessee, voted to join the union.
The UAW and other sources have highlighted Mercedes’ opposition to the union campaign, citing instances of anti-union signage at the factory. The UAW has accused Mercedes of engaging in illegal behavior, alleging intimidation and harassment tactics.
In response to the vote, UAW President Shawn Fain characterized the outcome as a “David and Goliath fight,” emphasizing that despite the loss, around 2,000 employees at the plant had voted in favor of joining the union.
“While this loss stings, these workers keep their heads held high. We fight the good fight and continue forward,” Fain said in a statement. “And the workers here ultimately will win. Most of us have lost elections in our lives and I know I’ve always learned from it. What matters is what you do with that experience.”
Following the NLRB’s certification of the results, Mercedes workers in Alabama will have to wait another year before they can file for a new election.
The vote at Mercedes comes as the UAW has launched a broader union campaign across 13 automakers, including Mercedes, Volkswagen, Tesla, and Toyota. Fain has referred to employees at non-unionized facilities, such as Tesla, as “members of the future.”
This initiative follows the UAW’s successful six-week strikes against Ford, General Motors (GM), and Stellantis last year, which resulted in record pay increases for workers.
