Gov. Kay Ivey has come out swinging, following reports of a significant number of Mercedes-Benz auto workers in Tuscaloosa County joining a labor union.

At the same time, Mercedes-Benz Thursday said it will “respect whatever is decided” if its approximately 6,000 workers in Tuscaloosa County decide to unionize.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) announced Wednesday that about 1,500 workers at Mercedes-Benz’s Vance auto plant have joined the union. The move is part of a larger push in non-unionized auto plants in the U.S. – chiefly in the Southeast.

Ivey, in a statement posted on the Alabama Department of Commerce page, said the union push by the UAW means that Alabama’s “model for economic success is under attack.”

“Make no mistake about it: These are out-of-state special interest groups, and their special interests do not include Alabama or the men and women earning a career in Alabama’s automotive industry,” Ivey stated.

Ivey recounted the beginnings of Alabama’s auto industry with Mercedes-Benz, beginning in the early 90s, to its current position as the state with the third most vehicle exports and fifth in total auto production.

“Alabama embraced a watershed moment in 1993, and we may soon face another watershed decision when the UAW asks nearly 50,000 Alabamians: Do you want continued opportunity and success the Alabama way? Or do want out-of-state special interests telling Alabama how to do business?” Ivey wrote.

Auto plants in the Deep South have long resisted unionization for decades, with high profile drives to organize failing in right-to-work states.

A Mercedes-Benz spokesperson Thursday said the company believes “open and direct communication with our Team Members is the best path forward to ensure continued success.”

“Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI) has a strong record of success over the past 25+ years operating as One Team in Alabama,” the spokesperson said. “Central to our success is our positive team culture that includes an open-door policy. MBUSI has a proven record of competitively compensating Team Members and providing many additional benefits.”

MBUSI was the first auto plant to locate in Alabama. The plant produces the Mercedes GLE, GLE coupé and GLS model series. After investing more than $1 billion into its Alabama operations since 2017, Mercedes also produces the all-electric EQS SUV and EQE.

According to the UAW, its members signing union authorization cards represent about 30% of the plant’s workforce. Previous unionization drives by the UAW at Vance have not been able to gain traction. However, last year, UAW members at a Mercedes supplier walked out on the job while a new contract was negotiated.

The ultimate goal of the union’s drive, according to UAW materials, is to reach the 70% threshold.

“After 70% of our coworkers have signed cards and we have an organizing committee made up of workers from every shift, every job classification, and every group of workers in the plant, we demand that the company recognize our union,” a flier states. “If they don’t, we file cards with the (National Labor Relations Board) and take it to a vote.”