Nissan Mississippi Union elections : UAW loses in Nissan Canton plant voting

Nissan Mississippi Union elections : Nissan Motor workers at the automobile manufacturer’s Canton plant in Mississippi have rejected the United Auto Workers (UAW) by voting almost two to one against the labor union.

According to the Japanese automaker, 2,244 workers voted against unionization while 1,307 voted in favor of UAW in a two-day election that was supervised by the US National Labor Relations Board.

UAW claims that the employees were under severe corporate threats and intimation to vote against the unionization.

UAW president Dennis Williams commenting on the results of the Nissan Mississippi Union elections commended the workers of Nissan who had fought tirelessly for the unionization as courageous. He said that the workers should be proud of their efforts alongside community and civil rights leaders to be represented by the labor union.

UAW loses in Nissan Mississippi Union elections. Photo courtesy of UAW.

Williams added: “The result of the election was a setback for these workers, the UAW and working Americans everywhere, but in no way should it be considered a defeat.

“Perhaps recognizing they couldn’t keep their workers from joining our union based on the facts, Nissan and its anti-worker allies ran a vicious campaign against its own workforce that was comprised of intense scare tactics, misinformation and intimidation.”

The results of the Nissan Mississippi Union elections which were released on late Friday saw UAW’s continued failure in forming a labor organization at the Canton plant for 14 years. Also, UAW’s attempts to expand in the southern US have taken a big blow, particularly ahead of its contract negotiations in 2019 with three automakers in Detroit.

In 2014, UAW had failed to garner support from a Volkswagen AG plant in Chattanooga, although the result there was much closer than the votes tallied in the Nissan Mississippi plant.

Reuters has reported that Nissan workers in favor of the UAW claim that the Canton plant has a poor record when it comes to safety and that the company had shifted them from a traditional pension fund to a 401(k) defined retirement plan.

It was a massive setback for the UAW as 10 years of its hard work in surging into the Nissan Canton plant did not materialize following two failed attempts at another plant of the Japanese automaker in Tennessee.

Nissan Motor released a statement on the results of the Nissan Mssissippi Union elections 2017 which read: “With this vote, the voice of Nissan employees has been heard.

“They have rejected the UAW and chosen to self-represent, continuing the direct relationship they enjoy with the company.”