Nissan employees reject UAW representation

October 3 2001 - The UAW failed in its fourth campaign in 12 years to achieve representation rights at Nissan North America's Smyrna plant. The National Labor Relations Board concluded the election today with the official count sheet showing 3,103 votes to reject the union, and 1,486 votes for union representation.

"The majority of our employees have made it clear that they have no interest in being represented by the UAW," said Dan Gaudette, NNA senior vice president of U.S. Manufacturing. "Most union elections become a contest between the employees and the union. The contest has been a long and hard one and it's been disruptive, but our employees have made their choice clear. We hope now that the UAW will respect their wishes."

UAW President Stephen P. Yokich called today's loss at Nissan a "setback for Nissan workers," and said, "the fact remains that in the global economy, Nissan workers still need and deserve the seat at the decision-making table that only a union can provide. That's why Nissan workers and other workers can continue to count on the UAW's support in their efforts to unionize and build brighter futures for themselves and their families."

"Obviously we're disappointed that the UAW supporters at Nissan came up short in this election after working so hard and standing up to Nissan's intense anti-union campaign," Yokich added. "Yet, at the same time, we're proud of the courage and determination they displayed throughout."

"Make no mistake about it," he said, "this vote does not change the constructive relationships we have with Ford, GM, DaimlerChrysler, NUMMI, Mitsubishi and hundreds of other employers that contribute every day to keeping our middle-class economy strong,"

Bob King, head of UAW's Organizing Department, commented, "our experience tells us that campaigns like this exert tremendous pressure on employers to maintain higher wages and better benefits for their workers than would otherwise be the case. Whether they know it or not, every Nissan technician owes a debt to the brave Nissan workers who campaign for the union. They are protecting every Nissan worker's standard of living."

"There can be no doubt," added King, "that Nissan management's law breaking and campaign of fear and intimidation offers dramatic proof of the tremendous obstacles workers must overcome in the face of a hostile employer."

"Most people think that union elections are just like the votes American citizens all know for elected officials and ballot propositions," King continued. "Unfortunately, that is not the case. In this election and in far too many union elections, employers threaten workers with loss of jobs, plant closings, moving to Mexico, loss of wages and benefits, and many other threats. Moreover, unlike political elections where all sides have comparable access to the voters, in union elections, the employer has unlimited workplace access to the workers while unions have no workplace access to workers."

"Nissan set the wrong tone for this campaign early on," said King, "when plant manager Daniel Gaudette told workers in an in-plant video message that they should not even talk to UAW supporters.

"The company also conducted extensive illegal surveillance of Nissan workers who were engaged in leafleting and other pro-union activities in and around the plant.

"Furthermore, Nissan workers who were perceived by the company as undecided were forced to attend compulsory meetings, often repeatedly, where they were barraged with distorted, misleading and just plain wrong information about the UAW. Every Nissan technician was subjected on a daily basis to company disinformation about everything from Nissan's relationship with unions in other countries to the basics of Nissan benefits and company policies."