Union-busting tactics behind union loss at Mercedes ( www.workers.org )

The UAW has filed Unfair Labor Practices charges with the National Labor Relations Board, and the German government is investigating the Stuttgart-based company for violations of German labor laws. Because of Mercedes’ illegal union-busting, it’s possible that the NLRB will order a rerun of the May 13-17 election. If not, the UAW can file for a new election in May 2025.

The issues that led about 70% of Mercedes workers to sign union cards — including overloaded jobs and mandatory 10-12 hour shifts — are not going to vanish. In any case, the 2,045 union supporters who voted “yes” are not about to throw in the towel. “We’ll try to figure out how to shore up for the next time. Because there will be another time. We’re not just going to shrug and walk away,” said battery worker Robert Lett. (Labor Notes, May 17)

In a statement posted on the UAW website, International President Shawn Fain said: “The UAW will continue to lead the fight against corporate greed and runaway inequality. And through that fight we’ll change the nation and the world for the better.” (uaw.org)

Only 7.5% of workers in Alabama belong to a union, compared to 23% in Hawaiʻi and 20% in New York, the states with the highest union density. A union win at Mercedes, like that at VW, will go a long way in the difficult but necessary struggle to unionize the U.S. South.