UAW Accuses Hyundai, Honda, and Volkswagen of Unfair Labor Practices

United Auto Workers (UAW) Filed a Complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

The United States auto union has reported Hyundai, Honda, and Volkswagen to authorities for alleged unfair labor practices.

The United Automobile Workers (UAW) announced on the 11th (local time) that they had submitted a complaint to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regarding allegations of illegal union-busting activities by management at Honda’s factory in Indiana, Hyundai’s factory in Alabama, and Volkswagen’s factory in Tennessee.

UAW President Sean Payne asserted that the companies were committing unlawful actions to silence auto workers instead of supporting their fair compensation. He expressed confidence in showing the management that these workers would not back down from asserting their rights to voice concerns and unite for better living conditions.

Honda’s Greensburg Factory in Indiana
Volkswagen’s Chattanooga Factory in Tennessee
Hyundai’s Montgomery Factory in Alabama

The UAW accused Honda’s Greensburg factory in Indiana of illegal activities, such as ordering the removal of union stickers from workers’ hats and having union activities under management surveillance. At Volkswagen’s Chattanooga factory in Tennessee, the UAW stated that management threatened workers, warning them not to discuss the union, and tried to unlawfully block the distribution of union promotional materials or conversations about union matters, even in non-work-related areas.

At Hyundai’s Montgomery factory in Alabama, they made accusations against management for confiscating and destroying materials that supported union formation in non-work spaces during non-working hours. The UAW declared, “The federal government protects the right to form a union without interference or threats from management, which is fundamental in a free and democratic society.”

UAW’s Effort to Form Unions at Non-Union Auto Manufacturing Sites
Targeted Manufacturers and Scope of the Campaign

This move is seen as the beginning of a full-scale union formation campaign by the UAW targeting non-union auto manufacturing sites in the U.S. On the 29th of last month, the UAW launched a campaign to form unions for approximately 150,000 workers at 13 manufacturing plants in the U.S. that promote non-union management.

The 13 manufacturers the UAW targets include Hyundai, Tesla, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru, Volkswagen, Mazda, Rivian, Lucid, and Volvo.

After the UAW’s simultaneous strike against the Big Three in the automotive industry – General Motors (GM), Ford, and Stellantis – ended in a complete victory for the union, the UAW moved to expand its membership. The UAW initiated a strike on September 15th that mobilized 50,000 people over six weeks. As a result, they achieved a maximum wage increase of 25% over four years, the restoration of cost-of-living allowances, and conversions to full-time positions.

By. Yoo Jin Cho