Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday blasted the United Auto Workers, in the midst of its most successful campaign to unionize Southern auto plants, as a “looming threat” to the state’s economy.

Ivey, speaking to the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce, called the union’s efforts to organize at two of Alabama’s automotive manufacturing plants – “Alabama’s crown jewel industries” – “a threat from Detroit.”

“We cannot let this out-of-state interest group take away this hope and prosperity from our folks,” Ivey told the crowd.

Ivey’s comments came on the same day the UAW announced that more than half of the workers at the Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI) plant in Vance have signed union cards.

The governor has already been publicly critical of the union effort over the last two months.

Shortly after the UAW announced 30% of MBUSI’s workers had signed union cards in January, Ivey, in a statement posted on the Alabama Department of Commerce page, said the union push means that Alabama’s “model for economic success is under attack.”

Tuesday’s comments came in the neighborhood of Hyundai, the other plant currently targeted by UAW, where 30% of the workers have signed union cards.

Ivey said Tuesday that the Korean automaker has been “transformative for the Montgomery community.” She said Hyundai and other employers can “serve as a model to other local areas grappling with this threat from Detroit.”

Hyundai’s automotive plant produces the automaker’s Sonata, Elantra, Santa Fe, Santa Cruz and Tucson, as well as engines.

In 2023, the UAW filed unfair labor practice claims against several automakers, including Hyundai, for what it said were union busting practices, such as confiscating and destroying pro-union materials in non-work areas during non-work times.

“Hyundai’s growth here and commitment to Montgomery has outdone initial projections, as it now represents a $1.8 billion dollar investment, having created some 4,000 jobs,” Ivey said. “On top of the good jobs, the good economic numbers…they’re just a good neighbor to have in Montgomery.”

Ivey, joined at the meeting by new Alabama Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair, said the two of them have “discussed was the looming threat of the UAW,” as well as the state’s economic vision into the next decade.

“My message is clear, though: I am standing up for Alabamians and protecting our jobs,” Ivey said. “Alabamians work harder than anyone. We make the best automobiles in the world. And we must not let UAW tell us differently.”