Majority Of Workers At Alabama Mercedes Plant Signed Union Cards, UAW Says

More than half of the employees at Mercedes-Benz’s manufacturing plant near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, have signed union cards and intend to join the United Auto Workers, the union announced Tuesday.

Hitting a majority of sign-ups marks a milestone for the UAW as it seeks to represent workers at foreign-owned auto plants in the South. The union has struggled to organize such facilities for years but has seen a surge of interest from workers following its historic strike against Ford, General Motors and Jeep parent company Stellantis last year.

Jeremy Kimbrell, a 25-year employee at the plant and lead organizer for the union effort, said in a video posted Monday that workers “ are ready to win our union and a better life with the UAW.”

“We’ve learned that we can’t trust Mercedes with our best interests,” Kimbrell said. “There comes a time when enough is enough.”

The union can file for an election when at least 30% of the proposed bargaining unit have signed authorization cards, but unions typically wait until a strong majority of workers ― often two-thirds or more ― have gotten onboard before seeking a vote, assuming the company will try to erode support. The union needs to get more than half of the votes cast to win.

About 6,000 employees work at the Tuscaloosa plant producing sport utility vehicles, according to Mercedes. Opened in 1995, it was the company’s first major vehicle production plant outside its home country of Germany.

Many foreign-owned auto companies have established operations in the South, where wages tend to be lower and unions weaker than in the Midwest.

Unionizing those plants is critical for the long-term success of the UAW, not just to grow its membership but also to increase the bargaining power