CANTON (AP) — Union supporters at a Nissan Motor Co. plant in Mississippi say United Auto Workers representation would increase their voice in workplace matters.

A day after filing for an election seeking union representation, workers and supporters held a kickoff event Tuesday at the UAW office near the automotive assembly plant in Canton. The union has struggled to organize foreign-owned auto plants across the South, working for years to build support among the 6,500 employees at the Mississippi complex.

Nissan management opposes a union, although it says workers are free to choose. And Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant says employees should be free of “union interference.”

The petition seeks a vote on July 31 and Aug. 1, but the National Labor Relations Board will ultimately set a date if it certifies the petition.