Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers union (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
The United Auto Workers union, having won pay increases and other improvements at Detroit automakers, on Wednesday unveiled a new campaign aimed at winning over workers at other companies.
The Detroit-based union now has a website for U.S. workers at non-union companies including Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co., Hyundai Motor Co., BMW AG, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen AG, Subaru, and Tesla Inc. to seek UAW representation.
“We’ve shown the industry and the world that this industry is harming workers and consumers to the benefit of company executives and the rich,” Shawn Fain, the UAW president, said in a video on the website. “It’s time the working class did something about it.”
The union this year won pay raises of 25% for new four-and-a-half labor contracts with General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co., and Stellantis. The accords also brought back cost-of-living adjustments and included additional job security measures and factory investments
To achieve all that, the union went on strike beginning in mid-September at some operations at all three companies. Over time, the UAW added factories affected by the walkouts. The agreements were ratified earlier this month.
The UAW has failed to organize workers during previous union elections at Nissan Motor Co. and Volkswagen.
Fain is looking to change that. Some non-union companies, including Toyota and Honda, have boosted worker pay following this year’s labor talks with the Detroit automakers.
The union chief is looking to bolster his leverage for the next union negotiations in 2028 by including more automakers.
“To all the autoworkers out there working without the benefits of the union, now it’s your turn,” Fain said in the union video.
