UAW Pushes to Form Unions at 13 Companies Including Hyundai and Tesla

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

Unionization efforts targeting 13 automakers, including Tesla, which has promoted a union-free management style in the United States, as well as Hyundai Motor, Toyota, and Mercedes-Benz, have gained momentum.

On the 29th (local time), according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and others, the United Auto Workers (UAW) announced the launch of a campaign to organize unions among approximately 150,000 factory workers at 13 automakers.

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

Axios reported, citing sources, that an organizing committee has been formed in Georgetown, Kentucky, where Toyota's plant is located. Toyota's Georgetown plant in Kentucky is the largest in the world, with 8,000 employees. Toyota has a total of 49,000 employees across nine plants in the United States, including those in Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

The UAW currently has 145,000 members at the "Big Three" U.S. automakers?Ford, General Motors (GM), and Stellantis. Including other industries, the total number of union members is about 400,000.

Sean Payne, UAW president, expressed his determination to expand unions to union-free automakers after leading a successful strike against the Big Three.

After the wage negotiations with the Big Three were settled, he said, "When we return to the bargaining table in 2028, it will not be with the Big Three (Ford, GM, Stellantis), but with the 'Big Five' or 'Big Six'."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.