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| After several years of company abuses and firings, IAM Automotive Technicians won a big Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals decision against Mercedes of Orlando, an AutoNation company. |
The IAM Southern Territory notched an important legal victory when the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals issued a blistering decision in the IAM’s favor against Mercedes of Orlando, an AutoNation company.
In 2008, the IAM won an election among Auto Technicians at the Florida Dealership. The company threw up appeal after appeal and last week the Court announced its decision, finding multiple violations by the company, including surveillance, interrogation of employees, illegally firing employees and refusal to bargain with the union.
The ruling finds that the company owes substantial back pay to the fired workers. AutoNation will also have to post about the decision in every one of their over 200 dealerships nationwide and affirm they will not interfere with their worker’s right to unionize.
“This is a huge victory for Auto Techs nationwide who want to better their lives,” said Southern Territory Organizing Leader Dave Porter. “Auto Techs have had their ability to earn a living chipped away by dealerships lowering the flat rate job times and the amount of money techs get per job. The only way to turn this around for them is by unionizing, and this decision is a turning point for their ability to collectively bargain and raise their real wages.”
Porter and IAM Automotive Coordinator Boysen Anderson are now in negotiations with Mercedes of Orlando for a first contract at the dealership.
