Dive Brief:
- The United Auto Workers has objected to the results of the May 13-17 election held at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance, Alabama, alleging the automaker interfered with the process, the National Labor Relations Board confirmed in an email Tuesday.
- Out of 5,075 eligible voters at the facility, more than 2,600 workers voted against joining the union, according to the NLRB, while about 2,000 people were in favor.
- “Mercedes engaged in egregious illegal behavior,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a May 17 statement. “The federal government as well as the German government are currently investigating Mercedes for the intimidation and harassment they inflicted on their own workers. We intend to follow that process through.”
Dive Insight:
Lisa Henderson, the regional director of NLRB’s Region 10-Atlanta office, will review the UAW’s objections.
“If she finds that the objections raise substantial and material issues of fact which could be best resolved by a hearing, she will order a hearing. If after the hearing, the Regional Director finds that the employer's conduct affected the election, she can order a new election,” Kayla Blado, director and press secretary of the NLRB, said in the email.
Region 10 is also investigating six unfair labor practice charges that have been filed by UAW against Mercedes-Benz U.S. International since March. The union claims the automaker discriminated against plant employees who supported unionization, as well as accused it of other union-busting activities. Mercedes-Benz has denied these claims.
Following the investigation of the unfair labor practice charges, Henderson will determine if the allegations have merit and seek appropriate remedies via a hearing with an NLRB administrative law judge, if the parties don’t settle at that point. The judge’s order could be appealed to the NLRB, and the board’s order could then be appealed to Circuit Court, according to the NLRB.
In April, the UAW also filed a complaint with Germany’s Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control against Mercedes-Benz AG. The union said the automaker’s alleged anti-union conduct at the Alabama plant is in violation of the country’s 2021 Supply Chain Act, which mandates German companies to “respect human rights in global supply chains.”
“Mercedes-Benz’s aggressive anti-union campaign against U.S. autoworkers in Alabama is a clear human rights violation under the German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chain,” the union said in a press release. “Mercedes-Benz could face billions in penalties, including significant fines and bans on government contracts.”
