Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama vote against union in major blow to UAW

U.S. workers at a Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama handed a stinging loss to the United Auto Workers on Friday, rejecting the union in a vote it had expected would build on a win at a Tennessee Volkswagen plant and push it deeper into the U.S. South.

It marked the first big loss for UAW organizers after a series of victories, including double-digit raises for Detroit workers and the union's expansion to a VW factory in Chattanooga last month. That leaves the next steps unclear for the union...