Autoworkers at Volkswagen's plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., will vote in mid-April on whether to join the United Auto Workers union. Mercedes workers in Tuscaloosa County, Ala., will soon follow.
The Mercedes-Benz training center sits adjacent to the plant that produces several models of luxury SUVs in Vance, Ala.On Friday, Mercedes workers in Vance, Ala., filed a petition with federal labor officials for a union election — a first for workers at that plant. Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tenn., will begin voting in their union election in less than two weeks.
But over the last year, she's soured on the place, finding the long hours and grueling work not worth it for the wages she takes home — $24 an hour.Moesha Chandler was drawn to Mercedes by its reputation as a good employer in a region with few opportunities. She now says the work is too exhausting for what she is paid.
Still, wages are a major reason why Chandler became an active campaigner for the UAW. In recent days, she says, she doesn't even have to seek out coworkers on the production line. They come to her.For years, Mercedes paid wages that were comparable to those paid to union workers at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis , says Stephen Silvia, professor at American University and author of the bookBut in recent years, Mercedes leadership has let compensation slide, according to workers.
On the plant floor, he has found plenty of workers who share his view that a union would be a bureaucratic hindrance. But having been through several union campaigns over the years, he senses that there's more pro-union sentiment now than in the past. "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."
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Seeking to defy history, the UAW is coming closer to unionizing in the SouthAutoworkers at Volkswagen's plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., will vote in mid-April on whether to join the United Auto Workers union. Mercedes workers in Tuscaloosa County, Ala., will soon follow.
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Volkswagen Tennessee Workers File For Union Election—As UAW Tries To Unionize First Foreign Automaker PlantMy previous experiences include work at Chemical Watch, Becker's Healthcare, Chicago Lawyer Magazine and The Kane County Chronicle. I graduated from DePaul University with degrees in journalism and psychology. Email me at cgleesonforbes.com.
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