U.S. Auto Workers Union Targets Hyundai, Tesla, and Others for Unionization

The United Auto Workers (UAW) is pushing to form unions at car manufacturers without unions in the U.S., including Hyundai Motor and Tesla. Given the UAW’s groundbreaking agreement with the U.S. Big Three (GM, Ford, Stellantis), recruiting union members is anticipated to proceed smoothly.

According to industry sources, on the 10th, the UAW formalized its drive to form unions for about 150,000 workers at 13 manufacturers’ plants through a press statement on the 29th of last month. The manufacturers targeted by the UAW include Hyundai Motor, Tesla, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru, Volkswagen, Mazda, Rivian, Lucid, and Volvo.

The UAW rapidly recruits members, emphasizing the benefits of forming a union. They are persuading to join by highlighting that they are lagging behind UAW-affiliated union members in terms of wages, bonuses, and job rights. Specifically, by emphasizing that they have successfully negotiated a favorable agreement concerning job security and employee welfare aimed at the Big Three, reports indicate that thousands of workers employed by these manufacturers have finalized their union membership through the official UAW website.

The UAW plans to announce the fact as soon as 30% of these manufacturers’ employees join the union, and if more than 50% join, they plan to hold a general assembly to strengthen unity. Following this, once the organizational committee is formed with over 70% of the membership completed. They intend to proceed with a vote to elect union representatives.

The UAW emphasized, “A significant number of car manufacturers without unions are dividing their workforce by mixing full-time, temporary, and contract employees and lowering wages,” and “Joining a labor union to have a real say will be a better way of life for all of us.”

UAW Chairman Sean Paine previously stated after the strike settlement negotiations, “When we return to the negotiation table in 2028, it will not be the Big Three, but the ‘Big Five’ or ‘Big Six.'”

Meanwhile, the UAW has 145,000 union members at U.S. car manufacturers ‘Big Three’, Ford, General Motors (GM), and Stellantis. The total number of union members, including other industries, is about 400,000.

By. Jin Woong Yoon