The United Auto Workers union has taken a major step forward in its efforts to organize the American plants of foreign automakers by filing for a representation election at the Mercedes plant in Alabama. This follows a similar filing at the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee. The UAW is seeking to organize workers at 13 different carmakers with American factories, with the goal of increasing membership and bargaining power after years of declining numbers.
The union’s efforts to organize nonunion plants have typically occurred years apart, but the current filings represent near-simultaneous votes at two major automakers. The Mercedes plant in Alabama, which primarily assembles SUVs, has about 6,000 hourly workers. Winning the right to represent all these workers would be a significant boost for the UAW’s membership numbers and bargaining clout, which have declined over the past few decades due to plant closings, automation, and loss of market share to nonunion automakers.
The decline in union membership has been a persistent challenge for the UAW, but recent successful contract negotiations with the three unionized automakers resulted in significant pay increases for members. Pay raises at Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, and Subaru have also been confirmed since the UAW contracts were reached, providing further motivation for workers to support union organizing efforts. However, winning an organizing vote at nonunion auto plants in states like Alabama and Tennessee, where support for unions is generally low, will be a difficult task.
Despite the challenges, the UAW is pushing forward with its organizing efforts, filing for a vote at the Mercedes plant in Alabama. However, the outcome is uncertain, especially given the defeat of a high-profile union organizing vote at an Amazon warehouse in nearby Bessemer in 2021. Management of nonunion automakers is also likely to resist union organizing efforts, as evidenced by unfair labor practice complaints filed against Mercedes related to alleged discipline or firing of union supporters. The success of these efforts will have significant implications for the future of union representation in the automotive industry.
