This is a guest opinion column

I’m starting my term as Alabama’s Commerce Secretary at a pivotal moment for the state’s economic future and particularly for the growth prospects of our vibrant auto manufacturing sector.

As you may be aware, the United Auto Workers (UAW) has launched a sweeping organizing campaign targeting the nation’s non-union automakers, including those in Alabama. This is a very strategic, well-planned campaign that places our state’s main economic driver in the crosshairs.

Led by Governor Kay Ivey and backed by the Business Council of Alabama (BCA) and other key players in Alabama’s business community, we’re going to fight the UAW. BCA is the perfect leader because it’s an organization that is respected and effective. It’s truly the voice of business in our state, so you know people will listen.

Statewide organizations such as Manufacture Alabama, the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama and the Economic Development Association of Alabama are coordinating with BCA to help us get out the word on what this means to our state and its future economic development growth.

The fact is neither the industry nor its Alabama workforce would really be better off with a union.

Consider this: Over the past three decades, Alabama has become a major production hub in the global auto industry, with five automakers investing $15 billion in our state.

This growth occurred without the help of the UAW.

Of course, the union has set its sights on Alabama before. On each previous occasion, Alabama autoworkers rejected the idea they needed a union middleman in their workplaces. Let’s hope they do so again.

If the UAW gains a foothold here, the days of Alabama being a premier destination for industry investment may be coming to an end. Instead, this investment — and thecareer opportunities that come with it — will shift to Mexico and other locations.

We respect the right of Alabama’s autoworkers to make their own decision on the union issue. At the same time, we urge them to get all the facts before they sign campaign cards or make a commitment they may regret.

There is already plenty of helpful information out there to help guide decisions on this topic, and a comprehensive statewide resource web site launched on Tuesday with additional insights.

With so much on the line, we’re urging the state’s autoworkers to carefully evaluate those union promises at this critical moment. The future of Alabama’s auto industry — and the state’s long-term growth prospects — hangs in the balance.

Ellen McNair is Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce