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The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation has highlighted ongoing tensions between workers and the United Auto Workers (UAW) union in Alabama. Mark Mix, president of the Foundation, authored an opinion piece published in The Center Square in May 2024, which discussed the history of labor disputes involving UAW at various plants.
Alabama Mercedes-Benz employees recently voted against joining the UAW. This decision was informed by past experiences at NTN-Bower in Hamilton, Alabama, where workers were under UAW representation from 1976 until they voted out the union in 2015. During that time, a prolonged strike led by UAW resulted in harassment and intimidation of workers who chose to return to work.
Ginger Estes, a former employee at NTN-Bower who played a key role in decertifying the union there, recounted: “Someone had to stand up for families like mine who simply couldn’t risk going on strike.” She added that UAW leaders protected "lazy and incompetent employees" and endangered the plant's future.
