DETROIT (FOX 2) - The United Auto Workers filed unfair labor practice charges against Honda, Hyundai, and Volkswagen for union-busting workers' organizing efforts.
During a live statement on Monday, UAW President Shawn Fain directly addressed all non-union workers at Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Tesla, Nissan, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru, Volkswagen, Mazda, Rivian, Lucid, and Volvo – encouraging their efforts to join the UAW.
"Right now, thousands of workers at 13 auto companies are fighting for a better life with the UAW," Fain said. "At the non-union automakers. It's a dictatorship. The moment you walk in that plant, whatever the boss says, goes."
Many autoworkers at non-union companies are signing authorization cards to join the UAW and fight for their own fair contract.
However, "management's been putting out anti-union propaganda, trying to turn the workers against the union," Fain said.
After giving several examples of union-busting in Indiana, Alabama, and Tennessee – Fain said Honda, Hyundai, and Volkswagen management have been illegally interfering with workers' attempts to unionize through surveillance, intimidation, coercion, confiscation of UAW materials, and more.
On Monday morning, the UAW filed federal labor charges with the National Labor Board against Honda, Hyundai, and Volkswagen.
UAW kicks off organizing effort at 13 non-union automakers, including Toyota and Tesla
Those automakers include Volkswagen, Mercedes, BMW, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai, Subaru, Mazada, as well as electric vehicle makers like Tesla, Rivian, Lucid.
The charges come nearly two weeks after the union announced that autoworkers at more than a dozen non-union facilities are organizing a campaign to join the UAW.
"The German three –BMW, Mercedes, and Volkswagen – they made $460 billion in profits over the last decade," Fain said. "The Japanese and Korean companies made $480 billion in profits; Toyota alone made more profits over the last decade than the Big Three combined. Meanwhile, their workers fell even further behind with no contract to fight for, no union rights on the job."
Instead of paying fair wages, Fain said Toyota's biggest plant in Geogetown, Kentucky – where it builds the RAV 4 and Camry – has set up a food bank for its workers. Meanwhile, Toyota is known as the world's most profitable auto company.
The long-term strike and negotiations with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis ended in major gains in wages, retirement benefits, as well as an end to worker tiers at factories.
Shortly after workers ratified deals with the UAW members at the Detroit Three, Japanese automakers said they planned to raise hourly wages for its workers in January. The UAW said the companies feared a "surge of enthusiasm for organizing."
However, Fain said it is time to ensure non-union workers get "a fair wage, with decent benefits and real job security."
Fain also spoke of the 30-50-70 strategy to unionize:
- When 30% of workers at any non-union auto company sign union cards, the organizing committee is prepared to make their efforts public.
- When 50% of non-union workers sign union cards, Fain will join them for a rally in their area.
- When 70% of workers sign union cards, and a strong organizing committee has been established, the UAW will demand the company to recognize the union or proceed to a vote.
"The Big Three say they can't compete with non-union companies that keep wages and benefits low, so we're going to help them out with that problem," Fain stated. "We're going to raise the standard across the country instead of lowering it."
For more information or to sign your union card, visit UAW.org/join.