By Tom Krisher | The Associated Press
South Korean automaker Hyundai has joined Honda and Toyota in raising factory worker wages after the United Auto Workers union reached new contract agreements with Detroit automakers.
Hyundai, which has its U.S. headquarters in Fountain Valley, said Monday it will raise factory worker pay 25% by 2028, matching the general wage increase won by the UAW during that period. Toyota raised factory pay 9% to 10% starting in January, while Honda said it will increase wages 11% during the same period.
Labor experts say the increases are at least in part aimed at thwarting UAW President Shawn Fain’s strategy of trying to organize U.S. auto plants run by foreign automakers and Tesla in order to increase the union’s bargaining power. Fain said terrified auto executives at nonunion plants are raising wages, and he called Toyota’s pay increase the UAW bump.
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“UAW, that stands for ‘You Are Welcome,’” he said.
About 146,000 UAW members are voting on new contracts with General Motors, Ford and Jeep maker Stellantis that give them 25% general wage increases over the next four years and eight months. When cost of living wages are factored in, workers will get about 33% raises, with the top assembly line employee making about $42 per hour.
Toyota and Honda also accelerated the time it takes for a starting employee to reach the top pay rate, also matching or coming close to the time period in the new UAW contracts.
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Harry Katz, a professor of collective bargaining at Cornell University, said it’s likely the UAW settlement contributed to the raises at the nonunion factories.
“There’s also a strong labor market, the companies are doing very well,” Katz said. “They’ve always wanted to stay nonunion, and they try to stay close to the Detroit top-tier…
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