The UAW union drive has reached Alabama and the governor isn’t too happy about it.
“Gov. Kay Ivey has come out swinging, following reports of a significant number of Mercedes-Benz auto workers in Tuscaloosa County joining a labor union.
At the same time, Mercedes-Benz Thursday said it will ‘respect whatever is decided’ if its approximately 6,000 workers in Tuscaloosa County decide to unionize.
The United Auto Workers (UAW) announced Wednesday that about 1,500 workers at Mercedes-Benz’s Vance auto plant have joined the union. The move is part of a larger push in non-unionized auto plants in the U.S. – chiefly in the Southeast.
Ivey, in a statement posted on the Alabama Department of Commerce page, said the union push by the UAW means that Alabama’s ‘model for economic success is under attack.’
‘Make no mistake about it: These are out-of-state special interest groups, and their special interests do not include Alabama or the men and women earning a career in Alabama’s automotive industry,’ Ivey stated.
Ivey recounted the beginnings of Alabama’s auto industry with Mercedes-Benz, beginning in the early 90s, to its current position as the state with the third most vehicle exports and fifth in total auto production.”
For the rest of the story, visit AL.com here.