MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – Some workers at the Hyundai auto plant in Montgomery have expressed interest in joining the United Auto Workers (UAW), a move that could have major implications for the city’s largest employer. will give.
The UAW on Thursday announced a “major milestone” in which more than 30% of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) workers have signed union cards, giving these workers access to their wages and labor. He added that he did not think the conditions were sufficient.
The UAW is pushing a public campaign to organize non-union auto plants across the country, and Hyundai’s announcement comes as another Alabama plant, the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa, has reached 30% of its signature goal. It is said that this was done following on from what had already been achieved.
The union said in a social media video: “Montgomery can’t wait.” The company touts Hyundai workers and the South Korean automaker’s union movement and civil rights legacy of “Montgomery, the city where Rosa Parks sat and thousands of modern workers are ready to rise.” He claims to be speaking out about his ties to the
The UAW adopted a successful strategy against Detroit’s “Big Three” automakers in 2023 that resulted in significant pay raises for union members.in that case announced that it would soon try to organize non-union factories across the country.including many workers in the South where previous attempts to unionize had failed.
The UAW has filed suit against Hyundai and other automakers for illegally interfering with union activities, an allegation Hyundai denies.
“HMMA provides fact-based and balanced information as part of an ongoing and respectful dialogue on union representation,” an HMMA spokesperson said in a statement. The statement continued, “HMMA team members are aware of the potential downsides of unionizing, including having to pay union dues, having limited workplace flexibility, and having to negotiate changes to working conditions through the union. “I’m learning the ropes,” he said. ”
Asked about previous attempts to unionize at the factory, HMMA spokesman Robert Burns said there had been two attempts, but that “a very small number of team members had considered unionizing, but “It was not successful because other team members did not participate in union activities,” he added. Listen to the UAW’s empty promises. ”
Burns could not answer questions about what exactly the workers want or whether there is a unified set of demands at this point, and he also said that attempts to unionize have been successful. He also said he could not comment on future plans for the factory, including possible relocation.
Burns pointed to several websites for information that HMMA shares with its employees, including TeamBuiltTeamStrong.com.
Alabama Secretary of Commerce Ellen McNair said this week that unions not only hurt autoworkers, they also hurt the state’s economy. State leaders have warned that unions will force companies like Hyundai, Toyota and Mercedes-Benz to relocate out of Alabama.
Gov. Kay Ivey said in January. She worries that unions will target Alabama’s auto industry, calling the workers “highly skilled and highly paid.”her statement was in contrast November 2023 Survey A report from Alabama Arise found the opposite, with the nonprofit group reporting that wages for Alabama autoworkers were 11% lower in 2019 than in 2002.
recently Editorial, Ivey said Alabama’s economic success model is under attack and said, “As the UAW asks nearly 50,000 Alabamians, we will soon face another watershed decision.” “Maybe. Do you want continued opportunity and success the way Alabama does?” Or do you want out-of-state special interests telling Alabama how to do business? To me, the choice is clear. ”
Montgomery is home to Korean Automobile Company’s only North American automobile manufacturing plant. It was established in 2005. The state’s auto manufacturing industry has blossomed since the mid-1990s and is now one of the top five auto manufacturing states in the nation, with Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, and Mazda all operating in the state. .
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