Workers at Two More Freightliner Facilities Vote YES for UAW

MT. HOLLY, N.C., May 2 -- More than eighty per cent of workers at two Freightliner facilities in North Carolina voted YES for UAW representation during elections held May 1, 2003.

Technicians at a Freightliner pre-delivery inspection (PDI) facility in Cleveland, North Carolina voted in favor of forming their own union by a vote of 25-7. Workers at Freightliner's PDI facility in Mt. Holly, North Carolina voted for the UAW by a 10 to 1 majority. Both elections were supervised by the U.S. National Labor Relations Board.

"Now we've got a voice, a big voice," said Jeremy Patterson, a technician at Freightliner's Cleveland PDI facility. As more and more workers at Freightliner facilities vote for UAW representation, he said, "the way to go is for all of us to be together. I'm proud to be part of it."

With these two new victories, a majority of workers at five Freightliner facilities have voted in favor of UAW representation since January of this year. Representing over 4,000 workers, the chain wide campaign at Freightliner -- a unit of DaimlerChrysler -- is the largest and most successful industrial union organizing drive in the United States since 1999.

The string of organizing victories by Freightliner began in January, with successful card check elections at the company's Cleveland, North Carolina class 8 truck manufacturing plant and the company's Gastonia, North Carolina plant. Together, the two plants employ more than 4,000 workers.

In April, 88 percent of workers at Freightliner parts depot in Duluth, Georgia voted for UAW representation during an NLRB-supervised election.

"We've got momentum," said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. "People want to be a part of Freightliner workers coming together."

"Our partnership with Freightliner will be a major plus for workers, communities, and the company for many years to come," said UAW Vice President Nate Gooden, who directs the union's DaimlerChrysler Department as well as its Heavy Truck Department.