Ivey OpEd: The unions would like to attack one of Alabama’s most coveted industries: automotive manufacturing. However, I’m standing up for Alabamans and defending our jobs.
By: Alabama Governor Kay Ivey
The 30th of September, 1993 was a pivotal day that was a turning point in Alabama history. It was the day that Mercedes-Benz decided to go against the grain and decided to choose Alabama as the location for the company’s initial U.S. manufacturing plant. It was a move that changed the direction of our state in a way that nobody could have ever imagined.
In the space of more than 30 years to the year 2024, and Alabama is the top manufacturing state in the automotive industry with five world-class Original Equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that include Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota and Mazda. These companies are the main to our economy however, who is the driver behind their success? The answer is a staggering 50,000 Alabamans who work hard working in the automotive manufacturing industry.
The employees employed in Alabama OEM facilities as well as the approximately 150 suppliers have a high level of expertise and are well compensated. Contributing to the creation of these opportunities is the primary reason that I was interested in public service in the first in the first. Opportunities are the reason I concentrate on education as well as economic development, and workforce development. Anyone who is looking for an opportunity to work in Alabama should have every opportunity Alabama can offer to help them get the job, then turn it into a lucrative career, and provide their family with it.
Let’s look back and look at Alabama’s accomplishments in manufacturing automobiles.
Mercedes-Benz arrived in Tuscaloosa in the early 1990s and brought with it a variety of suppliers. Further developments followed: Honda began producing vehicles in Lincoln in 2001. Hyundai production at Montgomery began in 2005. Toyota began manufacturing engine within Huntsville in 2003. Then in the year 2018, Toyota announced a joint venture with Mazda to establish Mazda Toyota Manufacturing in Limestone County.
The current expenditure amounts to 1.3 million vehicle production capacity, more than $9 billion annually in exports; and the production of 15 different vehicles as well as trucks and SUVs and three state-of-the-art electric vehicles. In addition, it is ranked Alabama as the 3rd state in terms of exports of vehicles and the state with the highest rank for production of all automobiles.
Alabama has grown into a national manufacturer of automobiles This was done without a unionized labor force. Our achievement is a result of our own made by the Alabama way.
Unfortunately the Alabama model of economic success is in danger. A major national union called that is called the United Automotive Workers (UAW) is intensifying efforts to target automakers that are not unionized across all of the United States, including ours here in Alabama. It’s not a secret this: these are not state-specific special interest groups and their particular interest do not encompass Alabama or those who have the salary in Alabama’s automobile sector.
My role as governor is to ensure that my main focus is on the wellbeing of our great state, and every one of our five million people who reside here, who have the opportunity to achieve success here and feel happy to have their families here. I will stand up for our hardworking women and men and our top employers. When Alabamans succeed the state succeeds.
Alabama has a rich industrial heritage. Alabama is a leading state in the area of opportunity and innovation. This is a state in which companies want to conduct business because they believe they can achieve success. Additionally, Alabama is one of the states that has shown that it is a world leading manufacturer of automobiles.
Alabama was awash in an historic moment in 1993 and may soon be facing another watershed moment when the UAW requests nearly 50,000 people from Alabama to decide if they want to continue growth and success Alabama way? Or are you looking for out-of-state special interests to tell Alabama what to do?
The choice for me is easy. I am confident in our record of success. This is the reason I will always be proud to be a supporter of the top Alabama employers and the top employees around the world. That’s why I’ll continue to place education as well as economic development, and workforce development my top priority. The people of Alabama work harder than anyone else and we produce the most efficient automobiles on the planet and we should not let UAW claim otherwise.
