CANTON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
Standing behind state political and religious leaders at a Sunday afternoon press conference, some Nissan workers say it's time for a union at the Canton plant.
"We're not here about the pay and all that right now. We're here about having a choice and a fair election. Right now we don't have that," says Nissan employee Michael Carter.
Workers claim the company has encouraged them against voting to form a union, as recent as last week.
"It was just anti-union. Nissan is anti-union. They don't want a union. They don't need a union. So it was mostly just drilling us, trying to get in our heads," recalls Nissan employee Betty Jones.
Mississippi's 2nd District Congressman Bennie Thompson says a vote among the plant's 3,300 workers is the right thing to do, so workers have a choice.
"They should be allowed to do so without any threats of harm, be it loss of jobs or anything and that's just a fundamental civil and human right."
Canton's Nissan plant produces about 400,000 vehicles annually. According to the company no union election has been held since the facility opened in 2003.
Supporters say workers in different countries and states have better incentive packages than those in Canton.
"The state of Mississippi gave Nissan plant hundreds of millions of dollars. There is no reason why, as citizens of this state, we should allow a company to rob our coffers," says Mississippi NAACP President Derrick Johnson.
The workers at Sunday's event say they aren't criticizing Nissan, they just want the opportunity to vote and have a voice. Carter knows it will be a tough task.
"I'm not gone quit. If we don't get a union, I'm gone shake their hand and say good job and we'll continue to work on."
It's believed there are petitions to organize a vote floating among workers, according to Thompson.
A private meeting between Nissan workers and the United Auto Workers Union was held after the press conference. The media was not invited.
A timetable has announced on when or if a vote might be held.
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