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The US Army Corps of Engineers is now removing wreckage, and looking at how to best remove a Singapore ship that hit Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key bridge last week to reopen the port to two-way traffic. Several major global automakers, their workers and customers are potentially affected. The Port of Baltimore is the busiest US port for automotive shipments, with more 847,000 cars and light trucks processed in 2023. (AutoInformed on March US Vehicle Sales Up. Record Q1 Consumer Spending!)
“Japan, Korea and Germany are the main origins for vehicles entering the US market, so brands with heavy production concentrations in those locations have the potential to be impacted more significantly, especially those in Europe,” said the GlobalData* consultancy. “It is no surprise that Hyundai and Toyota were the top importers, though General Motors (GM) was the third largest, with vehicles coming from Korea and China. VW Group is among the top 5 importers, while BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Stellantis are also exposed to potential disruption.” Continue reading
UAW Files Anti-Labor Charges in Germany Against Mercedes
The UAW filed charges today against Mercedes-Benz Group AG for violating a new German law on global supply chain practices. The law sets standards for global supply chains that German-based firms must follow. It prohibits companies from disregarding workers’ rights to form trade unions. Workers at Mercedes-Benz’s assembly and battery plant in Vance, Alabama are organizing to join the UAW and have faced fierce backlash from company management in the UAW’s view. The UAW’s charges are significant as a test of the act, which took effect on 1 January 2023. It applies to German-headquartered firms with more than 1000 employees. The UAW is the first American union to file charges under the act, also known by its German acronym LkSG.
“Mercedes-Benz’s aggressive anti-union campaign against U.S. autoworkers in Alabama is a clear human rights violation under the German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains. If found guilty, Mercedes-Benz faces billions in penalties, including significant fines and bans on government contracts,” the UAW said. Every Mercedes-Benz plant in the world is unionized, except the company’s two plants in the United States.
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