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The United Auto Workers Ramp Up Charges Against Nissan


Back in August, I made note of a union election at a Nissan plant in Mississippi.  That election, which resulted in a nearly 2 - 1 vote against unionization, was somewhat of a paramount moment in the fight of labor unions to get a footing in the south.  Leading up to the election, the United Auto Workers ("UAW") charged that Nissan engaged in unfair labor practices (including threats of shutting down the plant if the workers voted to unionize.)  

Since the results of the election were announced, the UAW has kept the pressure up and filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board ("NLRB") on the grounds that Nissan's alleged unfair labor practices prevented a proper election from occurring.  In fact, a few weeks ago, the UAW filed an amended complaint with the NLRB and alleged that Nissan maintained (and continues to do so) an employee surveillance, data collection, and rating system which records employee union activity and subsequently rates the workers based on their perceived support or opposition to the union.  The UAW has asked the NLRB to subpoena Nissan and further investigate its claims.

Interesting enough, on Tuesday, two workers from the Nissan plant stated that they were "concerned" that something nefarious was occurring at the plant.  One of the employees, Eric Hearn, stated that he confronted his supervisor before the August election and asked whether Nissan rated the employees based upon their union stance.  Apparently Hearn's supervisor stated he was "quite sure" this occurred.  Another employee, Calvin Ealy, stated that at the request of Nissan, he provided information about how employees under his supervision were likely to vote in an election.  (Ealy, prior to his termination in 2013, worked as a supervisor.)

This is likely to continue to play out further in the coming weeks and months.  As noted, given the contentious fight for unionization at the plant leading up to the election (and the subsequent 2 - 1 vote against unionization), there are hard feelings, especially on the union's side.  While it is unclear whether there is any substance to these alleged unfair labor practices (and whether a new election would ultimately be ordered), I would fully expect the UAW to make this a seminal moment as it continues to fight to spread big labor in the south.


For additional information:  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-03/nissan-accused-of-snooping-in-labor-s-latest-fight-for-the-south

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