U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers pushed back against recent heated comments by United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain against Gov. Kay Ivey.
“Right now, auto workers at Mercedes’ plant in Tuscaloosa are joining together to form a union with the UAW. Of course, the company won’t take it lying down, and neither will the wealthy, so they’re pushing back. And the politicians are getting involved. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey recently dared to say that the economic model of the South is under attack,” Fain said at a rally in North Carolina Tuesday. “She’s damn right it is! It’s under attack because workers are fed up with getting screwed.”
The UAW is pushing for unionization at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance, near Tuscaloosa, and recently announced that more than half of the employees at the plant have signed union authorization cards. The organization wants 70% of the plant’s workers to have signed union cards before it will petition for a union election.
Rogers (R-Saks) responded to Fain’s comments Thursday.
“I’ve seen what the UAW has done to Detroit, and I don’t want any of what they’re selling,” Rogers said. “Under Gov. Ivey’s leadership, Alabama now leads the nation in car exports. The UAW is attacking her because they would like nothing more than to bring all that growth to a halt.”
I’ve seen what the UAW has done to Detroit, and I don’t want any of what they’re selling. Under Gov. Ivey’s leadership, Alabama now leads the nation in car exports. The UAW is attacking her because they would like nothing more than to bring all that growth to a halt. https://t.co/PheShmKg9V
— Mike Rogers (@RepMikeRogersAL) April 4, 2024
Ivey also responded to Fain’s criticism, arguing that unionization will hurt the state’s future economic growth.
“It’s no wonder the UAW wants a piece of the pie here in Alabama,” Ivey said. “And let’s be clear about something: This threat from Detroit has no interest in seeing the people of Alabama succeed, our OEMs succeed, and in turn, the state to succeed like we are now.”
It's no wonder the UAW wants a piece of the pie here in Alabama.
And let's be clear about something: This threat from Detroit has no interest in seeing the people of Alabama succeed, our OEMs succeed, and in turn, the state to succeed like we are now. https://t.co/HD3e0ukX3L— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) April 4, 2024
Both Rogers and Ivey referenced the fact that Alabama led the country in automobile exports by shipping out more than $11 billion worth of vehicles in 2023.
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” Weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.