UAW announces drive to organize Toyota, Tesla and a dozen other automakers

The United Auto Workers announced a drive to organize the U.S. factories of Toyota, Tesla, Honda and the nation’s other non-unionized automakers, hoping to dramatically expand its membership after negotiating record contracts with Detroit’s Big Three.

The UAW unveiled a website where workers at 13 different companies can electronically sign union authorization cards in a first step toward attempting to organize their factories.

The UAW faces a tough battle. Its past efforts to organize the automakers have failed, in part, because many of the factories are located in southern states, where local laws, politics and culture make it harder for unions to organize.

Still, union leaders are hoping to capitalize on the big pay increases the UAW won for workers in new contracts with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. Those contracts include wage increases of at least 25 percent over 4½ years, as well as higher company contributions to retirement accounts and more paid time off.

The union said “thousands” of workers at the nonunionized companies have already contacted the UAW and signed cards in recent weeks, encouraged by the Detroit Three contracts. It declined to provide more specific figures.

Many of the nonunionized companies, including Honda, Toyota and Hyundai, have given their workers double-digit pay increases in recent weeks in what analysts call a clear attempt to ward off any unionization drive.

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Tesla Toyota десятка автопроизводитель намерение UAW The United Auto Workers Honda несоюзный