The United Auto Workers union continues the fight to add workers at two Alabama Mercedes-Benz plants in Vance and Woodstock to its union rolls.

Despite losing the union election by a narrow margin this month, the UAW has accused the automaker of misconduct and is seeking a new election. The union has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging the company illegally intimidated workers into voting against the union.

Shawn Fain, president of the UAW, alleged the company interfered in the organizing process.

"This company engaged in egregious, illegal behavior," Fain said. "The federal government and the German government are currently investigating Mercedes for the intimidation and harassment that they inflicted on their own workers."

The objections are being reviewed by the regional director of the labor relations board, who has the authority to order a hearing. If it is determined the employer's actions influenced the election, a new vote may be ordered.

Gov. Kay Ivey has said the plant workers have made their voices heard and the UAW should respect the outcome. Ivey and other southern governors have opposed efforts to unionize, saying direct relationships between workers and employers foster better work environments.

In the recent publication "Labor Notes," Mercedes worker Jeremy Kimbrell outlined allegations of union-busting activities, including sending anti-union messages, holding so-called "captive audience" meetings and playing anti-union videos.

Despite the loss, Fain acknowledged some victories achieved through the union's campaign. He highlights pay increases secured through the UAW's efforts, the elimination of wage tiers and the appointment of a new CEO. However, Fain thinks more could be done to improve working conditions at the plants.

"It's about getting our lives back, getting our times back, and having dignity on the job," Fain outlined. "The only path to do that, the only vehicle for that, is with a union contract."

Following last year's victories at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, the UAW has pledged $40 million to focus on organizing efforts in the South.

In the meantime, Gov. Ivey signed Senate Bill 231 into law, which mandates unions can only be formed through secret ballots. Companies voluntarily recognizing unions without the secret ballot risk losing state incentives.


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Low-wage workers in Pennsylvania haven't seen a minimum-wage increase in more than a decade, but a new bill with bipartisan support would change that.

The Raise the Wage Act of 2025, introduced in both chambers of Congress on April 8, aims to gradually raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $17 per hour by 2030.

Andrea Grove, owner of Elementary Coffee Co. in Harrisburg, said the change would lead to bigger paychecks and boost the economy.

"There has been a lot of movement, a lot of momentum, a lot of bills presented to hopefully get the minimum wage increased, even just incrementally," she said, "and I would really love to see this actually go through this time."

An analysis by the Economic Policy Institute finds that increasing the federal minimum wage to $17 per hour by 2030 would affect one million workers in Pennsylvania and more than 22 million workers nationwide.

Grove said she works with a lot of small and micro-businesses, with most already paying more than the federal minimum wage. She said the minimum wage remaining low results in employers paying less.

"Nine dollars an hour isn't even very good for minimum wage at this point in time," she said, "and if you look at the increase in rising costs and just what it takes for just to live, that's not keeping up, and that's not keeping pace with what just the average person needs to work a 40 hour work week and be able to provide for themselves."

The Pennsylvania House already passed House Bill 1500, which would raise the state's minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026. The idea has bipartisan support but the Senate has not yet acted on a similar bill.

Nebraska lawmakers have reached a compromise on a measure to roll back a minimum wage increase but labor group advocates said the deal goes against the will of voters.

Nebraskans approved a measure in 2022 to incrementally raise the minimum wage from $9 an hour to $15 by the beginning of 2026. But Legislative Bill 258, sponsored by longtime grocery store chain owner, Sen. Jane Raybould, D-Lincoln, would reduce the increases to fall below the cost of living.

Now, lawmakers have reached a percentage-based compromise, which still limits wage increases.

Jodi Lepaopao, field director for the advocacy group Nebraska Appleseed, said the deal falls short of what Nebraskans voted for three years ago.

"We are a thumbs down on the compromise," Lepaopao stressed. "We want to be sure that we are upholding the will of the voters and the legislature does that."

Supporters of the compromise said it minimizes financial risk over time and offer as evidence data from the Midwest Bureau of Labor Statistics showing a fixed annual increase would be superior to tying increases to annual cost of living adjustments, which is the approach the current takes.

Lepaopao added the 2022 voter-approved measure was designed to help Nebraskans who most need the wage increase.

"This was to ensure that they were able to continue to meet their needs as costs continue to rise," Lepaopao explained. "This was for the rural workers in smaller communities so they don't lose their purchasing power."

The bill would also create a minimum a $13.50 hourly wage for 14- and 15-year-olds.


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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to cut a cut a majority of jobs at the federal agency responsible for worker health and safety is seen as a direct attack on Kentucky workers by labor unions in the state.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health could be trimmed from around 1,400 employees to fewer than 150. At the state level, House Bill 398 would also have dismantled Kentucky's worker protection standards and requirements.

Dustin Reinstedler, president of the Kentucky AFL-CIO, said similar proposals down the road are now more concerning.

"To think that Kentucky was supposed to fall back on the federal OSHA guidelines, and to think that it's under attack now, it's pretty alarming," Reinstedler stressed.

The federal cuts are expected to include the agency's 9/11 firefighter program, also known as the World Trade Center Health Program. The American Industrial Hygiene Association, the AFL-CIO and Laborers' International Union of North America have all launched campaigns to urge the feds to restore the agency's staff and funding.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reinstedler explained Kentucky relies on its data, research and recommendations to protect workers. He cited personal protective equipment, respirators, and HEPA vacuum systems as standards the agency set to protect workers from silica exposure.

"Myself, as a bricklayer, any time that you're cutting masonry or anything, or cutting concrete, you're throwing up silica into the air," Reinstedler pointed out. "There are guidelines against that."

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health scientists also study Black Lung disease, which affects an estimated 20% of coal miners in Central Appalachia. The agency's mine safety research is regularly used by coal country's key regulatory agency, the Mine Safety and Health Administration.


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