UAW Makes its Pitch to Nissan Workers in Mississippi

The United Auto Workers union is wooing the 3,300 hourly workers at Nissan Motor Co.'s assembly plant in Canton, Miss., in an organizing drive that has included small private meetings and at a rally nearby on Sunday.

UAW President Bob King has declared that organizing U.S. factories operated by foreign carmakers is crucial to the union's survival.

Pro-union workers at the plant complain about erratic work hours, mandatory overtime and the company's alleged propensity to fire workers who file workers compensation claims. But other employees say they see no need to join the UAW.

Nissan notes that UAW organizing drives at the Canton plant in 2005 and 2007 failed to garner the signatures of 30% of a plant's workers the threshold that would enable the union to hold an election. The UAW also lost two elections at the company's assembly plant in Smyrna, Tenn.

The company says it has presented its case to employees in meetings that emphasize the UAW's dwindling membership and its role in the near-failure of domestic automakers. The UAW accuses Nissan of trying to intimidate its workers and violating their civil rights.

The union also is making its case to nonunionized workers at Volkswagen AG's assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., with the aid of German metalworkers union IG Metall.