In a significant setback for organized labor’s Southern strategy, workers at two Mercedes-Benz factories in Alabama have voted against unionization, dealing a blow to the United Automobile Workers (UAW) campaign to expand its influence in the region. What Happened: On Friday, workers at the Mercedes-Benz factories near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, rejected the UAW’s bid to represent them, reported The New York Times. The vote was seen as a crucial test of the UAW’s ability to unionize Southern factories. The defeat followed strong opposition from Alabama’s Republican leaders, who argued that a pro-uni…
