The US unions "International Brotherhood of Boilermakers" (IBB) and "International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers" (IBEW) had for a long time prepared the vote required by US law for representation of the "Blue Collars" at the site and applied to the responsible National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in San Francisco. However, the result was a clear defeat for our American colleagues.

The International Framework Agreement applicable at Siemens, as well as an additional "Letter of Understanding" especially for the USA, intent to ensure fair cooperation between the company and the unions. However, the massive resistance to all organizational efforts observed on site raises some doubts about this; there are serious allegations from the two unions IBB and IBEW about the company systematically using "union busting" measures.

The political climate, which changed with the start of the second Trump administration, likely also played a role, creating strong headwinds for unions. At the NLRB, a federal agency, Trump had already fired key figures shortly after taking office; this was accompanied by budget cuts and high uncertainty among employees in Sacramento, many of whom have a migration background, due to unclear perspectives regarding their legal status.

On the German side, we are currently working on a analysis of the situation to plan our further actions together with the US unions. One thing is certain: giving up is not an option - IBB and IBEW will make the next attempt with our support as soon as American laws permit.