By Nora Eckert and David Shepardson

DETROIT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Staff at a Mercedes Benz (ETR:) manufacturing unit in Vance, Alabama, filed a petition with U.S. regulators to carry an election to affix the United Auto Staff, the union mentioned on Friday.

The SUV plant is the second to file an election petition with the Nationwide Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in latest weeks. Reuters beforehand reported that Mercedes employees in Alabama would file an election petition with the NLRB as quickly as this week.

The NLRB mentioned it plans an April 15 listening to until the perimeters agree on an election schedule.

The UAW mentioned a “supermajority” of 5,200 eligible Mercedes employees on the plant and a close-by plant in Woodstock, Alabama signed playing cards to affix the union. The UAW hopes for a vote by early Could.

A Mercedes-Benz (OTC:) spokesperson mentioned the automaker respects the best of workers to make a “alternative whether or not to unionize and we stay up for taking part within the election course of to make sure” employees have entry to data to make an knowledgeable alternative.

The elections come after months of organizing efforts at greater than a dozen non-union automakers owned by international corporations like Hyundai Motor (OTC:) and Toyota Motor (NYSE:), in addition to EV makers like Tesla (NASDAQ:) and Rivian (NASDAQ:).

After securing file contracts for the Detroit Three – Common Motors (NYSE:), Ford (NYSE:) and Stellantis (NYSE:) – UAW President Shawn Fain pledged to perform a objective the labor group has failed at repeatedly over the previous few a long time: welcoming a brand new automaker to its unionized ranks.

The UAW’s newest efforts come at a time when it has an ally within the White Home. President Joe Biden, who final fall joined a UAW picket line in Michigan – a key battleground state on this fall’s election – has backed UAW efforts to prepare the nonunion automakers.

In Chattanooga, Tennessee, employees at a Volkswagen (ETR:) plant have been first to petition for a UAW vote, which is predicted to be finalized by April 19. UAW organizers have twice misplaced a vote at that plant, narrowly lacking a majority in 2014 and 2019. There have additionally been failed makes an attempt at crops owned by Japanese automaker Nissan (OTC:).

Union officers have claimed in filings to federal regulators that some automakers are retaliating in opposition to employees or encumbering their makes an attempt to prepare. The labor group on Wednesday filed expenses in opposition to Mercedes for violating Germany’s new regulation on world provide chain practices, which prohibits German corporations from disregarding employees’ rights to type commerce unions.

The corporate responded to a number of the union’s expenses, saying they’re inaccurate. It additionally mentioned the corporate acknowledges its workers’ rights to prepare.