The Latest: Nissan says workers reject UAW in Mississippi
CANTON, Miss. (AP) — The Latest on an election deciding whether the United Auto Workers union will represent workers at a Nissan plant in Mississippi (all times local):
11:55p.m.
Workers at a Nissan assembly plant in Mississippi have rejected union representation, adding to decades of futility by United Auto Workers organizers at foreign-owned auto plants in the American South.
A spokeswoman for Nissan Motor Co. said late Friday that the union lost a pivotal vote by 3,700 eligible workers. Nissan says the final vote total was 2,244 to 1,307.
The union formally charged Nissan with breaking federal law in its anti-union campaign as polls closed. Federal officials could eventually order a new election if they agree. Nissan denies wrongdoing and says the UAW seeks to undermine the vote.
The UAW has never fully organized an international automaker in the South.
The yearslong effort at Nissan focused on linking civil rights and workers’ rights for the majority African-American workforce. Nissan warned a union would hurt its economic competitiveness.
8:30 p.m.
The United Auto Workers has filed seven new claims that Nissan broke federal labor law during a union election at the company’s auto assembly plant in Mississippi.
The union filed the charges Friday just as polls closed after a two-day election to determine whether the UAW will represent roughly 3,700 workers at Nissan Motor Co.’s Canton plant.
The National Labor Relations Board will consider the charges and could add them to a series of allegations in a complaint the federal labor regulator has issued against Nissan.
If the UAW loses the vote and the labor board rules in favor of the charges, the board could order the election to be repeated. Such a decision could be months or years away.
Among the charges, the UAW alleges that Nissan provided a faulty list of worker contact information. Nissan spokeswoman Parul Bajaj says the company provided all required information. She didn’t immediately respond to the other charges.
7 p.m.
Workers at a Nissan auto assembly plant in Mississippi have finished voting in a two-day election to determine whether they want the United Auto Workers union to bargain for them.
The National Labor Relations Board is counting the secret-ballot election.
Voting among roughly 3,700 workers at Nissan Motor Co.’s Canton assembly complex began at 2 a.m. Thursday and ended at 7 p.m. Friday.
Nissan managers and union leaders expect results late Friday.
Workers filed for UAW representation in July. The union has struggled to expand beyond its stronghold at Detroit automakers to foreign-owned plants, especially in the southern United States.
Pro-union workers say the UAW would protect against arbitrary treatment, and bargain for better benefits and pay. Managers say the UAW would make the plant less economically competitive.
2:30 a.m.
Workers at a Nissan auto assembly plant in Mississippi are voting on whether they want the United Auto Workers union to bargain for them.
Voting among roughly 3,700 production workers at Nissan Motor Co.’s Canton assembly complex concludes at 7 p.m. Friday. The National Labor Relations Board is conducting the secret-ballot election after workers filed for UAW representation in July.
The union has struggled to expand beyond its stronghold at Detroit automakers to foreign-owned plants in the southern United States. The union did win an election to represent a small number of maintenance workers at a Volkswagen AG plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Pro-union workers say the UAW would protect them against arbitrary treatment, and bargain for better benefits and pay. Managers say the UAW would make the plant less economically competitive.
Article Courtesy of CNBC
