After winning labor negotiations with the three major car manufacturers in Detroit, the UAW has repeatedly hinted at establishing unions for non union companies. On Wednesday, it finally took the first step of action.
UAW launched an attack on 13 non union car manufacturers in the United States on Wednesday, covering nearly 150000 workers from BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Lucid, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Nissan, Rivian, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo.
UAW Chairman Fan Shawn stated in a video that it is now the turn of all the car workers who do not have union benefits!
At the same time, several companies initiated actions to organize unions, which clearly broke the tradition of UAW. Usually, UAW takes several months or even years to gain the support of workers in a factory, and the workers ultimately vote to decide whether to form a union.
But Shawn has already shown a radical style in his leadership confrontation with the three major Detroit giants, and fighting against 13 companies is also in line with his aggressive nature. It can also help UAW gain more initiative in negotiations with non union enterprises.
A difficult struggle
Previously, after the Detroit Big Three agreed to UAW's labor contract, several companies including Hyundai, Toyota, and Honda had already raised worker wages with concern, and Shawn saw this behavior as a driving force behind UAW.
However, this does not mean that the future of UAW forming a union is bright. In the recent vote, Volkswagen and Nissan workers did not support the formation of unions, and Tesla's California factory, which is considered the top target, also showed signs of being at a loss for union formation.
UAW stated on Wednesday that the strongest union action so far has occurred at Toyota's Georgetown assembly plant in Kentucky, with many workers expressing interest in forming a union.
Shawn emphasized that car workers across the United States are expressing their willingness to join the UAW, and a salary increase is just around the corner, and the time is ripe. Workers should not live a frugal life and should not worry about how to pay rent or support their families while earning billions of dollars in the company.
At present, non union automotive workers are signing union cards on a UAW website, but it has not disclosed how many people have signed union cards.