McMaster joins five other southern governors in anti-union statement

Adam Benson
·2 min read
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MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Gov. Henry McMaster last week reiterated his opposition of labor unions, joining GOP leaders from five other southern states in speaking out against organization efforts in the automotive industry.

“The reality is companies have choices when it comes to where to invest and bring jobs and opportunity,” the statement opens. It was signed April 16 by McMaster and the governors of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. “We have worked tirelessly on behalf of our constituents to bring good-paying jobs to our states. These jobs have become part of the fabric of the automotive manufacturing industry.”

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In South Carolina, automotive manufacturing brings $27 billion in annual economic impact and employs more than 82,000 people across 500 companies, according to a state Department of Commerce snapshot.

The UAW late last year announced plans to target non-union automakers across the south. The organization scored its first victory on Friday, when Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tenn. voted to join.

“People in high places told us good things can’t happen here in Chattanooga,” plant worker Kelcey Smith said in a statement released by UAW. “They told us this isn’t the time to stand up, this isn’t the place. But we did stand up and we won. This is the time; this is the place. Southern workers are ready to stand up and win a better life.”

Next month, 5,000 employees at a Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama will hold a UAW membership vote.

“”The experience in our states is when employees have a direct relationship with their employers, that makes for a more positive working environment,” the jointly signed letter said. “They can advocate for themselves and what is important to them without outside influence. The UAW has come in making big promises to our constituents that they can’t deliver on.”

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South Carolina has the nation’s lowest unionization rate, at 1.7%.

“Protecting our right-to-work status and reputation as a business-friendly state is crucial to our state’s continued economic success and prosperity,” S.C. Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Bob Morgan said in a newsletter last week.

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