Facing Decertification Vote, UAW Quickly Settles Contract At NJ Nissan Facility
Facing Decertification Vote, UAW Quickly Settles Contract At NJ Nissan Facility
One week before facing a decertification election, did the United Auto Workers interfere with employees' rights for a free and fair election?
By Peter List, Editor | April 19, 2024
Less than a week before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) conducts a decertification election at a Nissan facility in New Jersey, the United Auto Workers (UAW) has announced that it has agreed to a contract with the company.
On Thursday, the UAW’s Region 9 announced on X (formerly Twitter) that union members had ratified an agreement with Nissan management at a parts distribution center in New Jersey by 92 percent. However, it is unknown how many of the impacted employees actually participated in the ratification vote.
Contract timing raises questions. Earlier this month, workers at the Nissan facility had filed a petition to decertify the UAW and the NLRB had set an election date for Wednesday, April 24th to allow the workers to decide whether or not they wished to remain unionized.
However, before the NLRB conducted the election for the Nissan employees, the company and UAW agreed to a new contract. If the NLRB proceeds with the election, will the new contract and its timing impact the outcome of the election?
If the election moves forward, and the majority of employees decide to keep the UAW, through their attorneys at the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, it would seem that the employees opposed to union representation could object to the company and union settling a contract as interfering with their right to ‘free and fair’ election.
However, if employees do object, given the pro-union nature of the current National Labor Relations Board, it remains a question whether election interference by a union would constitute grounds for setting aside the election.
Stay tuned.
