Catherwood LibraryILR School

The United Auto Workers union is working to unionize workers at a Mercedes Benz plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Over half the workers have signed union cards and are on board with being represented by the UAW. The UAW is working towards unionizing foreign-owned automobile plants in the southern states, following the union’s historic win with the Big Three Automakers. The plant produces Mercedes Benz sport utility vehicles, and the factory was the first major Mercedes Benz factory outside of Germany when it was opened in the mid-1990s. Many foreign automobile manufacturers establish factories in the southern states due to lower wages and weak union presence. Previous efforts by the UAW to organize southern auto plants have failed, but the UAW is currently gaining momentum at Hyundai and Volkswagen plants along with the Mercedes Benz plant.