Workers at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance announced today that a majority of workers have signed union cards, marking serious progress in their movement to join the United Auto Workers (UAW).
The announcement comes a month after workers at the factory first declared a unionization campaign. As part of the announcement, video One of the workers, Jeremy Kimbrel, was released and explained why the workers were so determined to win a union and “a better life with the UAW.”
Kimbrel said that while the company has been making record profits, employees have endured meager benefits and pay increases for years, including a 42% raise over six years. Kimbrel also noted how the company's poor treatment of co-workers and the imposition of two-tier pay scales made them realize that they “cannot trust Mercedes to look out for our best interests.” .
“There comes a time when enough is enough,” Kimbrel said. “The time is now. We know what the companies, politicians and their millionaire friends will say. They will say this is not the time. Or this is not the right way. No. But here's the thing: This is our decision. It's our life. It's our community. These are our families. It's up to us.”
Since the initial announcement by Mercedes-Benz workers last month, another facility in Alabama, Hyundai, also announced that its workers are seeking to join the UAW. These unionization efforts have been condemned by several politicians and individuals aligned with business interests in the state, including Governor Kay Ivey and Alabama Business Council President Helena Duncan. These criticisms imply that these unionization campaigns are initiated by actors outside the state.
Kimbrel said the workers' decision to unionize was theirs alone because they were “exercising their right to fight for a better life.”
The full announcement can be read below.
“Today we are here to make a big announcement. The majority of our colleagues here at Mercedes, Alabama have signed their union cards and are committed to winning a union and a better life with the UAW. We are ready to win. We have not taken this step lightly. For years, while Mercedes has made billions of dollars in profits, we have fallen further behind. After 2008 and 2009, some of my colleagues were forced to leave the company. Previous CEOs said they would be recalled if conditions improved. Although improvements were made, they were not allowed to return and were replaced within six months with temporary workers at half the salary. These same temporary workers worked for up to eight years before landing full-time jobs. During this time, our management team gave us raises of 42 cents over six years while making record profits. And these same record profits came just as our children entered the workforce. It wasn't enough to prevent Mercedes from imposing an unfair two-tier pay structure when it started to become. We learned that we can't trust Mercedes with our best interests. When enough is enough. It's coming. The time is now. We know what the companies, the politicians, and their millionaire friends will say. They'll say it's not the time. This is not the right way. No. But here's the thing: This is our decision. It's our life. It's our community. These are our families. It's up to us. It's Mercedes' It's not the fault of management, politicians or anyone else. We're exercising our right to fight for a better life. And create the right conditions for the workers who make our cars and run our companies. Until then, we will not stop. We have organized our own factories. We are our union. Therefore, we would like to tell you that we are in the majority here. That the workers at Mercedes are ready to stand up. And we want to make sure that everyone who watches this, whether it's the auto workers at Mercedes or the working class people in Alabama and other parts of the country, is ready to stand up for the better. Whether you believe in life or not, we ask you to stand with us. Support our cause and join our movement. ”
As they continue to exercise this right, there will be widespread protests and union-busting efforts by workers to stop this momentum.
