NLRB To Conduct Hearing on Alleged Worker Intimidation at Mercedes-Benz Plant in Alabama

by J.Emerson

Published: January 29th, 2014

nlrb to conduct hearing on alleged worker intimidation at mercedes benz plant in

The National Labor Relations Board will conduct a hearing to discuss allegations regarding management conduct at Mercedes-Benz’s Vance, Alabama plant. The reports filed with the Board allege that Mercedes violated worker’s rights by forbidding discussion of unions during working hours, as well as threatening termination of employees that solicited for the union.

The UAW accuses Mercedes of suppressing efforts by employees to organize, in violation of the National Labor Relations Act. Mercedes claims it has pursued a policy of neutrality regarding the unionization of its workforce. The NLRB dismissed one complaint filed against the company in August of last year. But two other complaints filed in the fall were accepted by the NLRB as possible violations of labor law. The hearing, to be conducted on April 7, will allow both sides to present their case before a judge. The recommendation of that judge will influence the final ruling by the NLRB. A ruling against the complaint would strengthen the position of Mercedes and the union’s political opponents, but if the NLRB finds a violation of the law, it could be a major coup for the UAW.

This is the latest development in an ongoing campaign to unionize the plant, which builds the M, R, and GL Class near Tuscaloosa. Pro-union employees cite stagnating wages and reduced benefits as part of their reason for considering unionization. This leaflet issued by the UAW organizing committee alleges that since 2007, Mercedes has slashed healthcare plans for retirees. Supposedly, employees hired after 2009 will not be eligible for any retiree health benefits whatsoever. Employees have also voiced concern over the increased use of temporary workers at the plant. Still others point to a general decline in the relationship between labor and management, with complaints about inconsistent application of company policy. Others dismiss the need for a union, pointing out that high-paying jobs were scarce in the area before Mercedes arrived. They fear that the UAW may damage Mercedes’ recent run of success in the US. This includes an expansion of the plant to build the new C-Class later this year.

Although it has not yet succeeded in organizing the main Mercedes plant, the UAW has had a measure of success with Mercedes’ suppliers. The parts makers Faurecia, Inteva, ZF, and Johnson Controls in nearby areas have been organized for several years. It’s possible that the UAW may be able to leverage this success with plant workers in Vance. Even so, the unionization of a major transplant automaker in a right-to-work state remains a daunting task.

#Alabama #Hearing #JEmerson #Legal #Mercedes-Benz #NLRB #Tuscaloosa #Uaw #Union

J.Emerson

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MoDo on Jan 29, 2014

Ahhh Tuscaloosa - the plant that's famous for its German plant managers that have taken on the southern accent. Apparently you have to hear it to believe it....

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MBella on Jan 29, 2014

I have never talked to anyone that has worked at the Vance plant so I can't directly comment for them. I can however speak for the plenty of Mercedes-Benz employees that I have dealt with around here and they all seem to be very happy with the pay structure and benefit packages they have. I would be surprised if the workers at the Vance plant felt differently.

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- Xeranar on Jan 30, 2014
  
  So, can I get your Member ID number and your credentials for making this claim? Who do you work for? What company do you represent? I always find it amazing that something like 100 consistent posters are apparently everywhere at all times and are sure that these transplant workers are perfectly happy as they know them all personally. Quite amazing...
  
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- Geeber on Jan 30, 2014
  
  @Xeranar While you're at it, perhaps you can share your credentials that will give credence to your claims that transplant workers are illiterates who don't realize that they are being exploited by those heartless Japanese bosses.
  
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- Xeranar on Jan 30, 2014
  
  @geeber Well I never said they were illiterates but my statements are actually easily measured. You look at the level of education and income. Then you look at the industry average and find the discrepancies. It actually isn't some mystic knowledge. You even acknowledged those facts and then tried to use different measurements to readjust the reasoning. As compared to these completely subjective and unsubstantiated statements that seem to associate how everybody knows somebody who works at these places who support their view.
  
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- Geeber on Jan 30, 2014
  
  @Xeranar And, again, as I explained to you in our previous discussion, looking at wages and benefits without considering what those wages and benefits can buy, which requires a look at the local cost of living, is a meaningless exercise. Unless autoworkers in Tennessee are somehow living in Detroit and making all of their purchases in Michigan and also paying taxes there. As for "level of education" - are the Big Three employing people with bachelor's degrees and doctorates to assemble cars? I'm guessing that the overwhelming majority of workers in these plants have a high-school diploma, with some night-school courses, as well. (Please do not use statewide figures on educational attainment levels. What matters is the educational attainment level of the people actually working in the plants.) So, no, we still haven't seen any proof that the transplant workers are being exploited. You can't even use the argument that UAW wages still represent the industry standard, given that UAW workers do not constitute the majority of auto workers in this country. Your contention that the transplant workers are somehow being exploited, or taken advantage of by the parent companies, is without merit. The workers are treated well, and paid well. They have to be, given that the Toyota Production System, which has been adopted by the Japanese transplants in varying degrees, requires workers to contribute meaningful suggestions to improve the process and, ultimately, the product. You don't get that kind of worker by paying the minimum wage, nor do you get that kind of worker by treating them they way Harry Bennett of Ford treated workers in the 1930s. The bitter truth is that the UAW was forged in a very specific type of atmosphere that was conducive to its growth. The Japanese brought a new way of managing employees to this country, and it has resulted in happier workers and better vehicles. And it's no accident that the domestic company that has worked the hardest to implement those procedures in its plants - Ford - has enjoyed the greatest success in this country. The failure of the UAW to grow is because it has not adapted its message and tone to reflect a changed atmosphere. There's nothing sinister or evil about that.
  
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- Pch101 on Jan 30, 2014
  
  @Xeranar "You look at the level of education and income. Then you look at the industry average and find the discrepancies." The good thing about manufacturing work is that it provides the opportunity for those who don't have academic backgrounds to make a decent living. If their educational levels are at the lower end of the scale (and it wouldn't surprise me if they were), then that's actually a benefit, as that would be an indication that the jobs are pulling up people who don't have formal educations and who would probably earn less otherwise. If we reach a point that we've decided that a master's degree is a prerequisite for working on a line, then we will be doing something very wrong.
  
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