A National Labor Relations Board hearing has been set on charges that Mercedes-Benz interfered with the United Auto Workers' effort to organize a union at the automaker's Tuscaloosa County factory.
Three separate unfair labor practice charges were filed last summer and fall.
was dismissed, and the other two have been consolidated into one case that is proceeding to the April 7 hearing, said Claude T. "Chip" Harrell Jr., regional director for the NLRB office in Atlanta.
"Charges were filed, we investigated and determined there was reasonable cause to believe the (National Labor Relations) Act has been violated, with respect to certain aspects," he said this morning in an interview.
The complaint issued by the NLRB says Mercedes has been interfering with, restraining and coercing employees from exercising rights guaranteed under the National Labor Relations Act.
It alleges that plant supervisors prohibited employees from talking about the union during work time, but they allowed discussion of other non-work subjects. It also says supervisors threatened employees with discipline including termination if they solicited for the union anywhere inside the plant, but they allowed solicitations and distributions for things that didn't involve the union.
In a statement today, Mercedes' Alabama operations, officially called Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, said it was pleased with the dismissal of the charge and allegations filed in August.
"As for the remaining matters, we disagree with the UAW’s version of events and look forward to the NLRB hearing where witnesses and the evidence will establish that team members’ rights were not violated. The NLRB process still has many more stages of litigation and review, and it is important to make clear that there has not yet been any finding that MBUSI has done anything wrong," the company statement reads.
"We at MBUSI believe that our actions have been entirely appropriate, lawful and consistent with our position of neutrality on the union issue. MBUSI will continue to respect the rights of our team members and we believe that our positive team culture of open communication and direct access to management is the best path to a successful future."
The hearing will be held before an administrative law judge, and the parties will have a chance to make their case, Harrell said. The judge will then make recommendations to the NLRB in Washington, which will issue a decision.
The UAW plans a news conference this afternoon at its Tuscaloosa County office, where Mercedes employees will talk about the development. State Sen. Bobby Singleton also is expected to attend.
is part of a broader push by the UAW throughout the Southeast and includes efforts at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga and Nissan in Canton, Miss.
In the rearview:
In other news about Alabama's auto industry last week, Trussville's Southern Comfort Automotive unveiled a new off-road performance truck, the Chevrolet Reaper. SCA gets vehicles from manufacturers and outfits them with after-market touches and accessories. The company is adding about 25 jobs tied to the Reaper model.
Number of the week:
9.98 million. That's how many vehicles Toyota sold around the world during 2013, a performance that allowed it to retain the crown of the top-selling global automaker.
Driving Alabama is a weekly look at the state's auto industry, from its car assembly lines to its roadways and beyond.
Updated at 1:58 p.m. to include the statement from Mercedes.