By , ,
Published September 26, 2017
Nearly 3,800 assembly and maintenance workers at a Nissan assembly plant in Canton, Miss. were voting Friday to decide whether to unionize their workforce under the representation of the United Auto Workers.
The National Labor Relations Board expects the secret-ballot election at the Canton Nissan Motor Company assembly complex to conclude at 7 p.m. tonight. This comes after workers filed for UAW representation in July.
Twina Scott has worked at the Nissan plant in Canton for 14 years. She voted for the union after she became concerned about company benefits.
“The reason I feel so strongly to vote 'yes' is simply because we need to have a collective bargain so we will be able to sit down at the table with Nissan and negotiate on everything,” Scott told Fox News outside the factory.
Scott added she was hopeful a union could work for a better health plan, pension and help employees keep other benefits, including a leased car program.
But Nissan spokesman Brian Brockman said he does not believe employees will benefit from UAW representation.
“The latest UAW corruption scandal in Detroit and the history of layoffs, strikes and plant closures at represented plants, along with the many false claims and promises made…during this campaign are among the many reasons we do not believe that UAW representation is in the best interest of the employees of Nissan Canton,” Brockman said, adding employees at the plant “enjoy good, stable, safe jobs with some of the best wages and benefits in Mississippi.”
In 2015, skilled-trades workers at a Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga, Tenn. voted to be represented by UAW. The year before, the union was defeated at the same plant in an election involving all hourly employees.
UAW has more than 400,000 active members in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/nissan-assembly-plant-workers-to-decide-whether-to-unionize-in-mississippi