Alabama

Alabama Mercedes-Benz workers vote to join UAW union this week – Marketplace

Published

2 years ago

May 13, 2024

Alabama Mercedes-Benz workers vote to join UAW union this week – Marketplace

Following a big union win at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee last month, United Auto Workers union now faces another major test of its Southern organizing strategy.

Starting Monday, around 5,200 workers at a Mercedes-Benz assembly-and-battery complex near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, will begin voting on whether to join the UAW.

Other unions are also trying to make inroads in the region, known for its right-to-work laws and historical resistance to unions.

I was changing planes in Atlanta — on my way to cover the UAW in Alabama — when I started hearing about unions trying to organize more workers in the South from airport wheelchair attendant Ka-Ron Jones, who was hanging out by my gate while I got my scruffy shoes shined.

“The cleaning companies, all the restaurants, Popeyes — we’re trying to make sure everybody gets unionized. Because everybody’s not getting paid what they should be paid,” Jones said.

There are efforts to organize workers at Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines and at Amazon in Bessemer, Alabama.

But the point of the spear is the United Auto Workers’ $40 million campaign to unionize foreign-owned assembly plants across the South, said Harry Katz at the Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

“A lot’s at stake — whether they can use the momentum from the VW vote to win at Mercedes and then try and organize other transplants,” he said. “But they’re going to face strong resistance by management.”

There’s been plenty of that at Mercedes in Alabama, said Jeremy Kimbrell, a 24-year veteran autoworker and leader of the UAW’s “Vote Yes” campaign.

“Every day, every supervisor has a meeting with their work group and either shows a video or reads off a card and tells the workers why they don’t need a union,” he said.

One such Mercedes-Benz video sounds like this: “During a strike, employees don’t get paid by their employer. And in the state of Alabama, striking employees don’t get unemployment.”

Mercedes-Benz didn’t comment for our story. Anti-union workers I spoke to say their top pay is comparable to UAW workers in the North and that they don’t need representation.

The message that unions aren’t welcome and might drive top employers out resonates with the region’s anti-union, right-to-work politics, per Cornell’s Harry Katz.

“There’s not a strong collectivist culture,” he said. “Workers don’t have experience with unions, family members that have been union members.”

Jeremy Kimbrell, though, does. And that’s one reason he’s been at the forefront of repeated union drives at Mercedes.

“Boils down to being raised by a dad who was in unions,” he said. “I know what the benefit of a union is. And if you’re not sitting down at the table and then agreeing to a binding contract — very doubtful you’re getting your best deal.”

The better deal Kimbrell wants is the lucrative pay and benefits autoworkers recently won at GM, Ford and Stellantis — after strikes and hardball negotiations led by a reinvigorated UAW.

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Alabama

Jacob Crews scores 20 for Missouri in 85-77 win over Alabama State

Published

2 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Jacob Crews scores 20 for Missouri in 85-77 win over Alabama State

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Jacob Crews scored 20, and Anthony Robinson II added 19 in Missouri’s 85-77 win over Alabama State on Thursday night.

Crews shot 7 of 9 from the field, including 6 of 8 from the 3-point arc. Mark Mitchell added 15 points for Missouri (9-2), and Sebastian Mack added 10.

The Tigers had a 15-0 run in the first half, heading into the locker room up 52-39. Alabama State was held scoreless over a 4:19 drought in the middle of the second half to open a 9-0 run for the Tigers. The Hornets (3-8) responded with their own 10-0 run to bring the game within eight, 74-62. The Tigers regained control, though, to keep their eight-point lead the rest of the game, handing Alabama State their fourth loss in a row.

The Tigers shot 65% (33 of 51). Both teams shot 50% from the free-throw line.

Alabama State outscored Missouri in the final period, 38-33. Asjon Anderscon scored 23 for the Hornets, leading all players in scoring.

Up next

Missouri hosts Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 14.

Alabama State travels to Cincinnati to face the Bearcats on Dec. 17.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Alabama

Katie Windham Highlights Alabama Areas of Improvement on The Joe Gaither Show

Published

14 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Katie Windham Highlights Alabama Areas of Improvement on The Joe Gaither Show

Let’s crank up a Thursday edition of “The Joe Gaither Show on BamaCentral” with Mason Woods and Katie Windham as we start getting ready for next week’s College Football Playoff game between Alabama and Oklahoma. Windham detailed how the Crimson Tide can improve over the next few weeks, we discuss the team’s health and look back at our last road trip to Norman. The show then discusses the Heisman Trophy finalists before addressing a Kalen DeBoer coaching rumor.

The program opens by power ranking the holidays before discussing Windham’s three areas the Crimson Tide can improve over the next week. Our trio picks the easiest area the team can improve and how Alabama must perform in Norman. Windham details our last trip to Oklahoma as we go down memory lane to the Sooners’ 24-3 victory last season.

The show continues on by getting Windham’s thoughts on Alabama’a College Football Playoff selection and if the Crimson Tide actually deserved its place in the field. She brings up a unique aspect of Alabama’s blowout loss in the SEC Championship and how it played into the program’s inclusion in the College Football Playoffs.

We move from next week’s game into a small discussion on Notre Dame’s reaction of being left out of the field and how it relates to Alabama’s future home-and-home dates with the Fighting Irish. Will the two esteemed programs still face off in a few years?

The show heads into the only college football action of the weekend by highlighting the strong Heisman Trophy finalist field. Who brings home the bronze statue?

Lastly, we spend the final bit of the show talking about Michigan firing Sherrone Moore and the reports of the Wolverines considering persuing Kalen DeBeor for their next head coach. Will DeBoer leave Tuscaloosa for Ann Arbor?

We’re so appreciative of our sponsors who make the show possible. Check out Derek Daniel State Farm in Alabama for your insurance needs. We’re also proud to partner with Purple Turtle Roofing on the program. From your first call to the final nail, our mission is to make sure you feel confident, cared for, and covered, literally.

Call (205) 462-7340 Extension 800 to leave your thoughts in a voicemail, and you’ll be featured on the show. You can also join us live in the comment sections Monday through Friday at 8:15 a.m. CT.

The show can be seen on the BamaCentral YouTube channel. Keep up with each show on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Shows can also be heard on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.

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Alabama

New Alabama law raises penalties for porch piracy

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

New Alabama law raises penalties for porch piracy

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – As holiday deliveries ramp up, a new Alabama law aims to deter package theft by raising penalties for so-called “porch piracy.” The law, which went into effect on October 1, 2025, makes repeated package theft a felony and can carry prison sentences of up to 10 years in the most serious cases.

What changed

Previously, many package thefts in Alabama were charged as misdemeanor theft because the value of individual stolen packages often fell below felony thresholds. Under the new law however, lawmakers established penalties that focus on the number of homes targeted rather than the dollar value of items stolen:

Stealing from 1 to 9 homes: most serious misdemeanor
Stealing from 10 to 29 homes: felony
Stealing from 30 or more homes: can result in up to 10 years in prison

The law also increases penalties if stolen packages are used to commit identity theft or fraud. In addition, anyone who knowingly receives packages stolen by a porch pirate can be charged under the new rules.

Lawmakers weigh in

Senator April Weaver, one of the bill’s sponsors, said the change was meant to protect Alabama families during the holidays.

“It was really important to protect the people not only in my district but throughout the state of Alabama and to make sure their hard-earned money is going to their children’s Christmas,” she said.

On camera, Senator Weaver added with holiday humor, “It means the Grinch may have stolen Christmas in Whoville, but if he does it in Alabama, he’ll have plenty of time in state prison for his heart to grow three sizes.”

What police recommend if your package is stolen

If you discover a stolen package, law enforcement recommends:

Report the theft to police immediately.
Preserve any doorbell or surveillance footage that may show the theft.
Contact the delivery company right away to report the missing item.
Consider requiring a signature on delivery to reduce the risk of theft.

The law went into effect on October 1, 2025; this December marks the first holiday season it is in effect. Alabama is now one of more than a dozen states that have passed laws specifically targeting package theft. Supporters say the law sends a stronger message that porch piracy will no longer be treated as a minor offense.

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