Mercedes-Benz workers will vote on union in May

Workers at Mercedes-Benz’s plant in Vance will vote on a union between May 13 and May 17.

The vote will come after months of organizing in the plant by workers who say compensation has stalled at the factory, widely credited with starting Alabama’s automotive industry in the 1990s.

“We are ready to vote yes because we are ready to win our fair share,” Jeremy Kimbrell, a longtime worker at the plant who has participated in previous union drives, said in a statement released by the United Auto Workers, which announced the election and is coordinating the efforts. “We are going to end the Alabama discount and replace it with what our state actually needs. Workers sticking together and sticking by our community.” 

A spokeswoman with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) confirmed the election dates in a statement on Thursday. The NLRB expects to count votes and announce results on May 17.

A spokeswoman for Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI), which operates the Vance plant, said in a statement Thursday that the company’s primary focus “is always to provide a safe and supportive work environment for our team members.”

“MBUSI fully respects our team members’ choice whether to unionize and we look forward to participating in the election process to ensure every team member has a chance to cast their own secret-ballot vote, as well as having access to the information necessary to make an informed choice,” the statement said.

The election will involve 5,200 employees at the plant, according to filings with the NLRB.

The UAW said in February that a majority of workers at Mercedes-Benz had signaled support for a union. In applying for an election earlier this month, the UAW said a “supermajority” of workers at the plant had signed a petition for the union, though it did not provide figures. The UAW said in January that it would call for an election when 70% of workers signaled their support for the union.

The Vance plant manufactures the GLE and GLS, two of Mercedes-Benz’s luxury SUV models. It also produces the EQS and EQE, two luxury electric cars.

Mercedes-Benz announced that it would build the Vance plant in 1993 and opened it in 1997. The company, drawn by a major economic incentive package and cheaper labor costs in the South, was the first of several car manufacturers and suppliers to locate in Alabama. Hyundai has a plant in Montgomery and Honda has a plant in Lincoln.

UAW launched several previous union drives at the Mercedes plant, including one in 2014, but the campaigns did not lead to union elections. However, workers at the Mercedes plant say that pay and benefits have stagnated, and objected to irregular shifts and the use of temporary workers.

Auto workers in Alabama are generally paid well by state standards. An Alabama Arise report published in November said workers in the state’s automobile industry make an average of $64,682 a year, higher than the median household income of $59,674.

But the report also found that Alabama workers make less than their national counterparts and that real wages in the state industry have fallen 11% between 2002 and 2019.

The union drive has drawn opposition from Gov. Kay Ivey and the Business Council of Alabama. Ivey said in February that a union would take “hope and prosperity from our folks.” She also signed a statement with six governors of southern states released earlier this week claiming that the union drive would lead to job cuts.

“The experience in our states is when employees have a direct relationship with their employers, that makes for a more positive working environment,” the statement said. “They can advocate for themselves and what is important to them without outside influence.”

The governors’ statement did not address the workers’ concerns.

“We’re tired of Mercedes executives rolling things back,” said Billy Guyton, a Mercedes worker, in a statement released by the UAW. “We’re going to roll our union forward.”  

Workers at Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tennessee began voting on a union on Wednesday. The UAW has also launched an organization drive at Hyundai’s plant outside Montgomery.

Alabama’s unionization rate is lower than the nation’s but the highest in the South. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 7.5% of Alabama’s workforce (156,000 people) belonged to a union in 2023, while 8.6% (180,000 people) were represented by unions.

Updated at 12:37 p.m. with comments from Mercedes-Benz and the NLRB.