US board clears path for mini-union vote at big Nissan plant

By JONATHAN MATTISE
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The federal labor board has decided that fewer than 100 employees out of thousands at Nissan’s auto assembly plant in Tennessee can hold a vote on whether to form a small union. The ruling Thursday by the National Labor Relations Board overturns a June 2021 decision by one of its regional officials that has long blocked the vote. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers sought to limit the push to about 86 tool and die technicians at Nissan’s Smyrna plant. The board’s decision comes after a Democratic board majority was installed under President Joe Biden. The union said it is discussing the ruling with the employees “to determine the best path forward.”