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For years, workers at the Nissan plant in Canton, Mississippi have asked for a straight vote to unionize. They have complained of the company's over-reliance on temporary jobs, unsafe conditions, and a lack of benefits. Ads in favor and against the union crowd the storefronts around the town of Canton and neighboring Jackson.

And today, the buildup comes to a head, with voting to conclude on whether the Canton plant will unionize under United Auto Workers (U.A.W.) on Friday evening. 

Eyes across the country — from Senator Bernie Sanders to DNC Chair Tom Perez — are on the outcome. So how did a vote to unionize 6,500 employees turn into one of the biggest union fights in years?

R.L. Nave, news editor at Mississippi Today, discusses the buildup, the racial tension, and the implications of the vote in both the town, and nationally. 

Nissan issued The Takeaway the following statement:

"Allegations of intimidation made by the union are false. Nissan respects and values the Canton workforce, and our history reflects that we recognize the employees’ rights to decide for themselves whether or not to have third-party representation.

"Nissan employees have the right to know the company’s position regarding UAW representation in our plant, as well as important information about the UAW. The UAW has advocated employees only hear one side of the story – the Union’s side – and that’s wrong. The company has the right, and we believe the obligation, to provide employees with information as they prepare to make this important decision, and we will continue to do so.

"The latest UAW corruption scandal in Detroit and the history of strikes, layoffs, and plant closures at UAW-represented plants, along with the many false claims and promises made by the UAW during this campaign are among the many reasons we do not believe UAW representation is in the best interest of the employees of Nissan Canton."

UPDATE August 5, 2017: Nissan workers voted against the bid to unionize. Get the full story here from our partners at The New York Times.

This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich.