In a significant development, the German government has officially launched an investigation into Mercedes-Benz Group AG for alleged illegal anti-union conduct at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance, Alabama. The investigation was announced by Germany's Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control.

Voting is currently underway at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where a majority of workers have expressed their support for the union. However, they have faced months of a relentless and illegal campaign of intimidation orchestrated by the management and outside anti-union consultants hired by the company.

Jeremy Kimbrell, a long-time employee at the plant, expressed gratitude to the German government for taking their testimonies and evidence seriously. He emphasized the importance of equal rights and respect for autoworkers in Alabama, echoing sentiments shared by his coworkers.

The charges against Mercedes-Benz Group AG were filed by the UAW (United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America) in early April. The company is accused of violating Germany's new law on global supply chain practices, which deems their anti-union campaign a clear violation of human rights under the German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains.

If found guilty, Mercedes-Benz could potentially face billions in penalties, including major fines and bans on government contracts. The UAW complaint specifically illustrates seven violations of the German act, including the wrongful firing of a union supporter with Stage 4 cancer.

The UAW complaint also highlights a letter from MBUSI CEO Michael Göbel to employees in January, which aimed to discourage union activity and allegedly infringed upon workers' freedom of association. Additionally, mandatory plant-wide meetings held in February further attempted to dissuade workers from unionizing.

Despite the company's anti-union campaign, a supermajority of MBUSI workers have openly expressed their support for the union. With the ballot counting scheduled for Friday, May 17th, workers remain confident in their pursuit of unionization. If successful, this will mark the second Southern auto plant to join the UAW within a month, as well as a testament to the growing unionization movement across non-union auto plants in the United States.

As the investigation progresses, the outcome will weigh heavily on the accountability of Mercedes-Benz Group AG for its alleged violation of workers' rights in Alabama.