ZF Marysville says it will recognize employees' union choice

Global supplier ZF Friedrichshafen's plant in Marysville, Mich., said it will recognize UAW representation for its employees following a short strike some of them initiated last month.

A majority of workers have signed up to join the union, the UAW said in a statement.

The strike began Sept. 9. Employees returned to work one week later. The UAW said the strike took place because the plant backed out of an agreement to recognize the employees' intention to join the union. At the time, ZF pushed back against the claim that it reneged on a neutrality agreement to recognize a majority sign-up. Production was not impacted, a ZF spokesman said.

About 340 employees work at the plant, but it's unclear how many participated in the strike. A ZF spokesman said only a "small fraction" of the work force was involved.

"Contrary to what has been said by some with regard to this process, we have always respected the rights of our employees to have their voices heard," Anthony Sapienza, ZF's head of communications in North America, said in a statement Monday to Automotive News. "Following a free and fair process for Marysville ZF employees to decide whether they wanted the UAW to represent them, a majority selected UAW representation."

Sapienza said ZF was prepared to recognize the UAW as the collective bargaining representative of the employees in the agreed-upon unit.

ZF Marysville is staffed by Stellantis employees already under a UAW contract and by ZF employees. Stellantis is currently transferring its employees there to its other locations, which means ZF will be staffing the Marysville plant entirely with its own employees — a decision made during negotiations in 2019.

"These hardworking ZF Marysville workers simply want what other employees at that plant have had," Region 1 UAW Director James Harris said in the union's statement. "ZF Marysville workers made it clear that they wanted the same voice at the table to bargain for their wages and benefits. They stood up to form their union and ultimately succeeded."