The UAW’s election defeats at Alabama Mercedes-Benz plants is due to southern automotive executives’ successful use of the “union avoidance playbook.”
UAW
President Joe Biden, dubbed “Union Joe,” has lived up to the claim as approval ratings for unions are at decade-highs.
The UAW has been able to make gains in the south because of its new leadership and closer cooperation with VW workers in Germany.
As the UAW makes a push to unionize southern autoworkers, it will face resistance from both foreign automakers and Southern politicians.
The UAW wants Ford, GM, and Stellantis to pay union-level wages and benefits at all joint-venture-operated EV battery plants in the U.S.